ANDREW  LANG 


4025 


L3S 


HOMERIC    HYMNS 


BUST    OF     ATHENE 

Forming  a.  va.se,  found  at  Athens    now  in  the  British  Museum 
(Fifth  Century   B.C) 


THE 

HOMERIC  HYMNS 

A  NEW  PROSE  TRANSLATION 


AND  ESSAYS,  LITERARY  AND  MYTHOLOGICAL, 

BY 

ANDREW    LANG 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW   YORK 

LONGMANS,    GREEN,    AND    CO. 
LONDON: GEORGE  ALLEN 

1899  » 


Printed  by 

BALLANTYNE,  HANSON  &*  Co. 
Edinburgh 


A   LITTLE   TOKEN   OF 
A    LONG   FRIENDSHIP 


PREFACE 

'  I  "O  translate  the  Hymns  usually  called 
"  Homeric "  had  long  been  my  wish, 
and,  at  the  Publisher's  suggestion,  I  under- 
took the  work.  Though  not  in  partnership, 
on  this  occasion,  with  my  friend,  Mr.  Henry 
Butcher  (Professor  of  Greek  in  the  University 
of  Edinburgh),  I  have  been  fortunate  in  re- 
ceiving his  kind  assistance  in  correcting  the 
proofs  of  the  longer  and  most  of  the  minor 
Hymns.  Mr.  Burnet,  Professor  of  Greek  in 
the  University  of  St.  Andrews,  has  also  most 
generously  read  the  proofs  of  the  translation. 
It  is,  of  course,  to  be  understood  that  these 
scholars  are  not  responsible  for  the  slips 
which  may  have  wandered  into  my  version, 


viii  PREFACE 

the  work  of  one  whose  Greek  has  long  "  rusted 
in  disuse."  Indeed  I  must  confess  that  the 
rendering  "  Etin  "  for  ireXap  is  retained  in  spite 
of  Mr.  Butcher,  who  is  also  not  wholly  satis- 
fied with  "gledes  of  light,"  and  with  "shiel- 
ing "  for  a  pastoral  summer  station  in  the 
hills.  But  I  know  no  word  for  it  in  English 
south  of  Tweed. 

Mr.  A.  S.  Murray,  the  Head  of  the  Classi- 
cal Department  in  the  British  Museum,  has 
also  been  good  enough  to  read,  and  suggest 
corrections  in  the  preliminary  Essays  ;  while 
Mr.  Cecil  Smith,  of  the  British  Museum, 
has  obligingly  aided  in  selecting  the  works 
of  art  here  reproduced. 

The  text  of  the  Hymns  is  well  known  to 
be  corrupt,  in  places  impossible,  and  much 
mended  by  conjecture.  I  have  usually 
followed  Gemoll  (Die  Homerischen  'Hymnen, 
Leipzig,  1886),  but  have  sometimes  preferred 
a  MS.  reading,  or  emendations  by  Mr. 


PREFACE  ix 

Tyrrell,  by  Mr.  Verral,  or  the  admirable 
suggestions  of  Mr.  Allen.  My  chief  object 
has  been  to  find,  in  cases  of  doubt,  the 
phrases  least  unworthy  of  the  poets.  Too 
often  it  is  impossible  to  be  certain  as  to 
what  they  really  wrote. 

I  have  had  beside  me  the  excellent  prose 
translation  by  Mr.  John  Edgar  (Thin,  Edin- 
burgh, 1891).  As  is  inevitable,  we  do  not 
always  agree  in  the  sense  of  certain  phrases, 
but  I  am  far  from  claiming  superiority  for 
my  own  attempts. 

The  method  employed  in  the  Essays,  the 
anthropological  method  of  interpreting  be- 
liefs and  rites,  is  still,  of  course,  on  its  trial. 
What  can  best  be  said  as  to  its  infirmities, 
and  the  dangers  of  its  abuse,  and  of  system- 
making  in  the  present  state  of  the  evidence, 
will  be  found  in  Sir  Alfred  Lyall's  "Asiatic 
Studies,"  vol.  ii.  chaps,  iii.  and  iv.  Readers 
inclined  to  pursue  the  subject  should  read 


x  PREFACE 

Mr.  L.  R.  Farnell's  "Cults  of  the  Greek 
States"  (Clarendon  Press,  1896),  Mr.  J.  G. 
Frazer's  "  Golden  Bough,"  his  "  Pausanias," 
and  Mr.  Hartland's  work  on  "The  Myth  of 
Perseus."  These  books,  it  must  be  observed, 
are  by  no  means  always  in  agreement  with 
my  own  provisional  theories. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

PREFACE  vii 


ESSAYS  INTRODUCTORY— 

THE  SO-CALLED   HOMERIC   HYMNS              .           .  3 

THE  HYMN  TO  APOLLO    .            .          .  12 

THE  HYMN  TO   HERMES               •           •           •          •  35 

THE  HYMN  TO  APHRODITE       .           .           ...  40 

THE  HYMN  TO  DEMETER            •          •          •           •  53 

THEORIES  OF  DEMETER    .           .      '    .           .  8 1 

CONCLUSION       .......  96 

HOMERIC  HYMNS— 

I.   TO  APOLLO            .                     .          .           .           .  103 

II.   TO  HERMES 134 

III.  TO   APHRODITE    .           .                      .           .           .  166 

IV.  TO   DEMETER 183 

V.   TO  APHRODITE    .  .          .          .          .  .211 

VI.   TO  DIONYSUS 213 

VII.   TO  ARES 2l8 

VIII.    TO   ARTEMIS          .           ....           .            .  22O 

IX.  TO  APHRODITE   ....  221 


xii  CONTENTS 


FACE 

X.   TO  ATHENE 222 

XI.  TO   HERA 223 

XII.  TO  DEMETER 224 

XIII.  TO  THE  MOTHER  OF  THE  GODS         .          .  225 

XIV.  TO  HERACLES  THE  LION-HEART         .          .  226 
XV.  TO  ASCLEPIUS 227 

XVI.  TO  THE  DIOSCOURI 228 

XVII.  TO  HERMES 22Q 

XV1I1.   TO  PAN 230 

XIX.  TO   HEPHAESTUS 233 

XX.  TO  APOLLO 234 

XXI.  TO  POSEIDON .235 

XXII.  TO   HIGHEST  ZEUS 236 

XXIII.  TO  HESTIA 237 

XXIV.  TO  THE  MUSES  AND  APOLLO     .           .           .238 
XXV.   TO  DIONYSUS       ......  239 

XXVI.  TO  ARTEMIS 240 

XXVII.  TO  ATHENE 242 

XXVIII.  TO   HESTIA 244 

XXIX.  TO  EARTH,  THE  MOTHER   OF  ALL     .           .  246 

XXX.  TO  HELIOS 248 

XXXI.   TO  THE  MOON      .           .           .          .       '  .           .  250 

XXXII.  TO  THE  DIOSCOURI 252 

XXXIII.   TO  DIONYSUS 254 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

BUST  OF  ATHENE -       Frontispiece 

Forming  a  vase,  found  at  Athens,  now  in  the  British  Museum 

HERMES  WITH  THE  BOY  DIONYSOS     .    fadngpage  35 

Statue  by  Praxiteles,  found  at  Olympia 

MOURNING  DEMETER    .       ..."•.       .    fadngpage  54 

Marble  statue  from  Cnidos.     In  the  British  Museum 

SILVER  DENARIUS  OF  C.   VIBIUS  PANSA  (about 

90  B.C.) .       page  56 

Obv.  Head  of  Apollo.     Rev.  Demeter  searching  for  Persephone 

DEMETER  AND  PERSEPHONE  SENDING  TRIPTO- 

LEMOS  ON   HIS   MISSION  .          .     facing page  92 

Marble  relief  found  at  Eleusis,  now  in  A  thens 

SILVER  STATER  OF  CROTON  (about  400  B.C.)     page  103 

Obv.  Hercules,  the  Founder,     Rev.  Apollo  shooting  the  Python 
by  the  Delphic  Tripod 

LETO     WITH     HER     INFANTS,     APOLLO     AND 

ARTEMIS facing  page   104 

From  a  vase  in  the  British  Museum  (Sixth  Century  B.C.) 

HERMES  MAKING  THE  LYRE        .        .  fating  page  136 

Bronze  relief  in  the  British  Museum  (Fourth  Century  B.C.) 

APHRODITE fadngpage  1 66 

Marble  statue  in  the  Louvre 


xiv  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


SYRACUSAN  MEDALLION  BY  EUAINETOS      .    page  183 

Obv.  Head  of  Persephone.     Rev.  Victorious  Chariot 

DIONYSUS  SAILING  IN  HIS  SACRED  SHIP    .       „    213 

Interior  Design  on  a  Kylix  by  Exekias  in  Munich 

PAN,  WITH  GOAT  AND  SHEPHERD'S  CROOK  facing  page  230 

Terra-cotta  statuette  front  Tanagra.     In  the  British  Museum 

APOLLO,     ARTEMIS,    AND    LETO    IN    PROCES- 
SION           facing  page  241 

Marble  relief  in  the  Louvre 

THE  DIOSCURI  COMING  TO  THE  FEAST  OF  THE 

THEOXENIA facing  page  252 

Front  a  vase  in  the  British  Museum  (Sixth  Century  B.C.) 


ESSAYS    INTRODUCTORY 

TO 

THE     HOMERIC     HYMNS 


THE 
SO-CALLED   HOMERIC   HYMNS 

"  '  I  VHE  existing  collection  of  the  Hymns  is 
*  of  unknown  editorship,  unknown  date, 
and  unknown  purpose,"  says  Baumeister. 
Why  any  man  should  have  collected  the  little 
preludes  of  five  or  six  lines  in  length,  and  of 
purely  conventional  character,  while  he  did 
not  copy  out  the  longer  poems  to  which  they 
probably  served  as  preludes,  is  a  mystery. 
The  celebrated  Wolf,  who  opened  the  path 
which  leads  modern  Homerologists  to  such  an 
extraordinary  number  of  divergent  theories, 
thought  rightly  that  the  great  Alexandrian 
critics  before  the  Christian  Era,  did  not  re- 
cognise the  Hymns  as  "  Homeric."  They  did 
not  employ  the  Hymns  as  illustrations  of 
Homeric  problems  ;  though  it  is  certain  that 
they  knew  the  Hymns,  for  one  collection  did 


HOMERIC  HYMNS 


exist   in   the    third    century   B.C.1      Diodorus 
and    Pausanias,    later,    also    cite    "  the    poet 
in    the   Hymns,"  "  Homer  in  the   Hymns "  ; 
and     the     pseudo  -  Herodotus     ascribes     the 
Hymns  to  Homer  in  his  Life  of  that  author. 
Thucydides,    in    the    Periclean    age,    regards 
Homer    as    the    blind    Chian    minstrel    who 
composed  the   Hymn  to  the  Delian  Apollo  : 
a    good    proof    of    the    relative    antiquity    of 
that  piece,  but  not  evidence,  of  course,  that 
our  whole   collection  was   then    regarded   as 
Homeric.     Baumeister  agrees  with  Wolf  that 
the  brief  Hymns  were  recited  by  rhapsodists 
as  preludes  to  the  recitation  of  Homeric  or 
other  cantos.     Thus,  in   Hymn  xxxi.   18,  the 
poet  says  that  he  is  going  on  to  chant  "  the 
renowns   of   men   half  divine."       Other   pre- 
ludes   end   with    a    prayer    to    the    God    for 
luck  in  the  competition  of  reciters. 

This,    then,    is    the    plausible    explanation 
of    most    of    the    brief    Hymns — they    were 

1  Baumeister,  p.  94,  and  note  on  Hymn  to  Hermes,  51, 
citing  Antigonus  Carystius.  See,  too,  Gemoll,  Die  Homerischen 
f/ymnen,  p.  105. 


THE  LONGER  HYMNS 


preludes  to  epic  recitations — but  the  question 
as  to  the  long  narrative  Hymns  with  which 
the  collection  opens  is  different.  These  were 
themselves  rhapsodies  recited  at  Delphi,  at 
Delos,  perhaps  in  Cyprus  (the  long  Hymn 
to  Aphrodite),  in  Athens  (as  the  Hymn  to 
Pan,  who  was  friendly  in  the  Persian  in- 
vasion), and  so  forth.  That  the  Pisistratidae 
organised  Homeric  recitations  at  Athens  is 
certain  enough,  and  Baumeister  suspects,  in 
xiv.,  xxiii.,  xxx.,  xxxi.,  xxxii.,  the  hand  of 
Onomacritus,  the  forger  of  Oracles,  that 
strange  accomplice  of  the  Pisistratidae.  The 
Hymn  to  Aphrodite  is  just  such  a  lay  as 
the  Phaeacian  minstrel  sang  at  the  feast 
of  Alcinous,  in  the  hearing  of  Odysseus. 
Finally  Baumeister  supposes  our  collection 
not  to  have  been  made  by  learned  editors, 
like  Aristarchus  and  Zenodotus,  but  com- 
mitted confusedly  from  memory  to  papyrus 
by  some  amateur.  The  conventional  attri- 
bution of  the  Hymns  to  Homer,  in  spite  of 
linguistic  objections,  and  of  many  allusions 
to  things  unknown  or  unfamiliar  in  the 


HOMERIC  HYMNS 


Epics,  is  merely  the  result  of  the  tendency 
to  set  down  "  masterless "  compositions  to  a 
well-known  name.  Anything  of  epic  charac- 
teristics was  allotted  to  the  master  of  Epic. 
In  the  same  way  an  unfathered  joke  of 
Lockhart's  was  attributed  to  Sydney  Smith, 
and  the  process  is  constantly  illustrated  in 
daily  conversation.  The  word  VJULVOS,  hymn, 
had  not  originally  a  religious  sense :  it 
merely  meant  a  lay.  Nobody  calls  the 
Theocritean  idylls  on  Heracles  and  the 
Dioscuri  "hymns,"  but  they  are  quite  as 
much  "  hymns "  (in  our  sense)  as  the 
"  hymn "  on  Aphrodite,  or  on  Hermes. 

To  the  English  reader  familiar  with  the 
Iliad  and  Odyssey  the  Hymns  must  appear 
disappointing,  if  he  come  to  them  with  an 
expectation  of  discovering  merits  like  those 
of  the  immortal  epics.  He  will  not  find  that 
they  stand  to  the  Iliad  as  Milton's  "  Ode 
to  the  Nativity "  stands  to  "  Paradise  Lost." 
There  is  in  the  Hymns,  in  fact,  no  scope 
for  the  epic  knowledge  of  human  nature  in 
every  mood  and  aspect.  We  are  not  so 


GODS  AND  MEN 


much  interested  in  the  Homeric  Gods  as 
in  the  Homeric  mortals,  yet  the  Hymns 
are  chiefly  concerned  not  with  men,  but  with 
Gods  and  their  mythical  adventures.  How- 
ever, the  interest  of  the  Hymn  to  Demeter 
is  perfectly  human,  for  the  Goddess  is  in 
sorrow,  and  is  mingling  with  men.  The 
Hymn  to  Aphrodite,  too,  is  Homeric  in  its 
grace,  and  charm,  and  divine  sense  of  human 
limitations,  of  old  age  that  comes  on  the 
fairest,  as  Tithonus  and  Anchises  ;  of  death 
and  disease  that  wait  for  all.  The  life  of  the 
Gods  is  one  long  holiday  ;  the  end  of  our 
holiday  is  always  near  at  hand.  The  Hymn 
to  Dionysus,  representing  him  as  a  youth  in 
the  fulness  of  beauty,  is  of  a  charm  which 
was  not  attainable,  while  early  art  repre- 
sented the  God  as  a  mature  man  ;  but 
literary  art,  in  the  Homeric  age,  was  in 
advance  of  sculpture  and  painting.  The 
chief  merit  of  the  Delian  Hymn  is  in  the 
concluding  description  of  the  assembled 
lonians,  happy  seafarers  like  the  Phasa- 
cians  in  the  morning  of  the  world.  The 


8  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

confusions  of  the  Pythian  Hymn  to  Apollo 
make  it  less  agreeable  ;  and  the  humour 
of  the  Hymn  to  Hermes  is  archaic.  All 
those  pieces,  however,  have  delightfully  fresh 
descriptions  of  sea  and  land,  of  shadowy 
dells,  flowering  meadows,  dusky,  fragrant 
caves ;  of  the  mountain  glades  where  the 
wild  beasts  fawn  in  the  train  of  the  winsome 
Goddess  ;  and  the  high  still  peaks  where  Pan 
wanders  among  the  nymphs,  and  the  glens 
where  Artemis  drives  the  deer,  and  the 
spacious  halls  and  airy  palaces  of  the  Im- 
mortals. The  Hymns  are  fragments  of  the 
work  of  a  school  which  had  a  great  Master 
and  great  traditions  :  they  also  illustrate  many 
aspects  of  Greek  religion. 

In  the  essays  which  follow,  the  religious 
aspect  of  the  Hymns  is  chiefly  dwelt  upon  : 
I  endeavour  to  bring  out  what  Greek  religion 
had  of  human  and  sacred,  while  I  try  to 
explain  its  less  majestic  features  as  no  less 
human  :  as  derived  from  the  earliest  attempts 
at  speculation  and  at  mastering  the  secrets 
of  the  world.  In  these  chapters  regions  are 


GREEKS  AND  SAVAGES 


visited  which  scholars  have  usually  neglected 
or  ignored.  It  may  seem  strange  to  seek 
the  origins  of  Apollo,  and  of  the  renowned 
Eleusinian  Mysteries,  in  the  tales  and  rites  of 
the  Bora  and  the  Nanga  ;  in  the  beliefs  and 
practices  of  Pawnees  and  Larrakeah,  Yao 
and  Khond.  But  these  tribes,  too,  are  human, 
and  what  they  now  or  lately  were,  the  remote 
ancestors  of  the  Greeks  must  once  have  been. 
All  races  have  sought  explanations  of  their 
own  ritual  in  the  adventures  of  the  Dream 
Time,  the  Alcheringa,  when  beings  of  a  more 
potent  race,  Gods  or  Heroes,  were  on  earth, 
and  achieved  and  endured  such  things  as 
the  rites  commemorate.  And  the  things  thus 
endured  and  achieved,  as  I  try  to  show, 
are  everywhere  of  much  the  same  nature ; 
whether  they  are  now  commemorated  by 
painted  savages  in  the  Bora  or  the  Medicine 
Dance,  or  whether  they  were  exhibited  and 
proclaimed  by  the  Eumolpidae  in  a  splendid 
hall,  to  the  pious  of  Hellas  and  of  Rome. 
My  attempt  may  seem  audacious,  and  to 
many  scholars  may  even  be  repugnant  ;  but 


io  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

it  is  on  these  lines,  I  venture  to  think,  that 
the  darker  problems  of  Greek  religion  and 
rite  must  be  approached.  They  are  all 
survivals,  however  fairly  draped  and  adorned 
by  the  unique  genius  of  the  most  divinely 
gifted  race  of  mankind. 

The  method  of  translation  is  that  adopted 
by  Professor  Butcher  and  myself  in  the 
Odyssey,  and  by  me  in  a  version  of  Theo- 
critus, as  well  as  by  Mr.  Ernest  Myers,  who 
preceded  us,  in  his  Pindar.  That  method 
has  lately  been  censured  and,  like  all 
methods,  is  open  to  objection.  But  I 
confess  that  neither  criticism  nor  example 
has  converted  me  to  the  use  of  modern 
colloquial  English,  and  I  trust  that  my 
persistence  in  using  poetical  English  words 
in  the  translation  of  Greek  poetry  will  not 
greatly  offend.  I  cannot  render  a  speech 
of  Anchises  thus  : — 

"If  you  really  are  merely  a  mortal,  and 
if  a  woman  of  the  normal  kind  was  your 
mother,  while  your  father  (as  you  lay  it 
down)  was  the  well-known  Otreus,  and  if  you 


QUESTION  OF  STYLE  n 

come  here  all  through  an  undying  person, 
Hermes  ;  and  if  you  are  to  be  known  hence- 
forward as  my  wife, — why,  then  nobody, 
mortal  or  immortal,  shall  interfere  with  my 
intention  to  take  instant  advantage  of  the 
situation." 

That  kind  of  speech,  though  certainly  long- 
winded,  may  be  the  manner  in  which  a  con- 
temporary pastoralist  would  address  a  Goddess 
"  in  a  coming  on  humour."  But  the  situation 
does  not  occur  in  the  prose  of  our  existence, 
and  I  must  prefer  to  translate  the  poet  in  a 
manner  more  congenial,  if  less  up  to  date. 
For  one  rare  word  "  Etin "  (7reA&y>)  I  must 
apologise :  it  seems  to  me  to  express  the 
vagueness  of  the  unfamiliar  monster,  and  is 
old  Scots,  as  in  the  tale  of  "The  Red  Etin 
of  Ireland." 


THE    HYMN   TO   APOLLO 

'  I  AHE  Hymn  to  Apollo  presents  innumerable 
*  difficulties,  both  of  text,  which  is  very  cor- 
rupt, and  as  to  the  whole  nature  and  aim  of 
the  composition.  In  this  version  it  is  divided 
into  two  portions,  the  first  dealing  with  the 
birth  of  Apollo,  and  the  foundation  of  his 
shrine  in  the  isle  of  Delos  ;  the  second  con- 
cerned with  the  establishment  of  his  Oracle 
and  fane  at  Delphi.  The  division  is  made 
merely  to  lighten  the  considerable  strain  on 
the  attention  of  the  English  reader.  I  have 
no  pretensions  to  decide  whether  the  second 
portion  was  by  the  author  of  the  first,  or 
is  an  imitation  by  another  hand,  or  is  con- 
temporary, or  a  later  addition,  or  a  mere 
compilation  from  several  sources.  The  first 
part  seems  to  find  a  natural  conclusion,  about 
lines  176-181.  The  blind  singer  (who  is 


MR.   VERRALL'S  THEORY  13 

quoted  here  by  Thucydides)  appears  at  that 
point  to  say  farewell  to  his  cherished  Ionian 
audience.  What  follows,  in  our  second  part, 
appeals  to  hearers  interested  in  the  Apollo  of 
Crisa,  and  of  the  Delphian  temple  :  the  Pythian 
Apollo. 

According  to  a  highly  ingenious,  but 
scarcely  persuasive  theory  of  Mr.  Verrall's, 
this  interest  is  unfriendly.1  Our  second  part 
is  no  hymn  at  all,  but  a  sequel  tacked  on 
for  political  purposes  only  :  and  valuable  for 
these  purposes  because  so  tacked  on. 

From  line  207  to  the  end  we  have  this 
sequel,  the  story  of  Apollo's  dealings  as 
Delphinian,  and  as  Pythian  ;  all  this  following 
on  detached  fragments  of  enigmatic  character, 
and  containing  also  (305-355)  the  interca- 
lated myth  about  the  birth  of  Typhaon  from 
Hera's  anger.  In  the  politically  inspired 
sequel  there  is,  according  to  Mr.  Verrall,  no 
living  zeal  for  the  honour  of  Pytho  (Delphi). 
The  threat  of  the  God  to  his  Cretan  ministers, 

1  Journal  of  Hellenic  Society,  vol.  xiv.  pp.  1-29.    Mr.  Verrall's 
whole  paper  ought  to  be  read,  as  a  summary  cannot  be  adequate. 


14  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

— "  Beware  of  arrogance,  or  .  .  ." — must  be 
a  prophecy  after  the  event.  Now  such  an 
event  occurred,  early  in  the  sixth  century, 
when  the  Crisaeans  were  supplanted  by  the 
people  of  the  town  that  had  grown  up  round 
the  Oracle  at  Delphi.  In  them,  and  in  the 
Oracle  under  their  management,  the  poet 
shows  no  interest  (Mr.  Verrall  thinks),  none 
in  the  many  mystic  peculiarities  of  the  shrine. 
It  is  quite  in  contradiction  with  Delphian 
tradition  to  represent,  as  the  Hymn  does, 
Trophonius  and  Agamedes  as  the  original 
builders. 

Many  other  points  are  noted — such  as  the 
derivation  of  "  Pytho  "  from  a  word  meaning 
rot, — to  show  that  the  hymnist  was  rather 
disparaging  than  celebrating  the  Delphian 
sanctuary.  Taking  the  Hymn  as  a  whole, 
more  is  done  for  Delos  in  three  lines,  says 
Mr.  Verrall,  than  for  Pytho  or  Delphi  in  three 
hundred.  As  a  whole,  the  spirit  of  the  piece 
is  much  more  Delian  (Ionian)  than  Delphic. 
So  Mr.  Verrall  regards  the  Cento  as  "a  re- 
ligious pasquinade  against  the  sanctuary  on 


MR.    VERRALL'S  THEORY  15 

Parnassus,"  a  pasquinade  emanating  from 
Athens,  under  the  Pisistratidae,  who,  being 
Ionian  leaders,  had  a  grudge  against  "  the 
Dorian  Delphi,"  "  a  comparatively  modern, 
unlucky,  and  from  the  first  unsatisfactory " 
institution.  Athenians  are  interested  in  the 
"  far-seen "  altar  of  the  seaman's  Dolphin 
God  on  the  shore,  rather  than  in  his  inland 
Pythian  habitation. 

All  this,  with  much  more,  is  decidedly 
ingenious.  If  accepted  it  might  lead  the  way 
to  a  general  attack  on  the  epics,  as  tendenz 
pieces,  works  with  a  political  purpose,  or 
doctored  for  a  political  purpose.  But  how 
are  we  to  understand  the  uses  of  the  pasqui- 
nade Hymn  ?  Was  it  published,  so  to  speak, 
to  amuse  and  aid  the  Pisistratidae  ?  Does 
such  remote  antiquity  show  us  any  examples 
of  such  handling  of  sacred  things  in  poetry  ? 
Might  we  not  argue  that  Apollo's  threat  to 
the  Crisceans  was  meant  by  the  poet  as  a 
friendly  warning,  and  is  prior  to  the  fall  of 
Crisa  ?  One  is  reminded  of  the  futile  in- 
genuity with  which  German  critics,  following 


1 6  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

their  favourite  method,  have  analysed  the 
fatal  Casket  Letters  of  Mary  Stuart  into  letters 
to  her  husband,  Darnley  ;  or  to  Murray  ;  or 
by  Darnley  to  Mary,  with  scraps  of  her  diary, 
and  false  interpolations.  The  enemies  of  the 
Queen,  coming  into  possession  of  her  papers 
after  the  affair  of  Carberry  Hill,  falsified  the 
Casket  Letters  into  their  present  appearance 
of  unity.  Of  course  historical  facts  make  this 
ingenuity  unavailing.  We  regret  the  circum- 
stance in  the  interest  of  the  Queen's  reputa- 
tion, but  welcome  these  illustrative  examples 
of  what  can  be  done  in  Germany.1 

Fortunately  all  Teutons  are  not  so  ingeni- 
ous. Baumeister  has  fallen  on  those  who, 
in  place  of  two  hymns,  Delian  and  Pythian, 
to  Apollo,  offer  us  half-a-dozen  fragments. 
By  presenting  an  array  of  discordant  conjec- 
tures as  to  the  number  and  nature  of  these 
scraps,  he  demonstrates  the  purely  wilful 
and  arbitrary  nature  of  the  critical  method 
employed.2  Thus  one  learned  person  believes 

1  Henderson,  "  The  Casket  Letters,"  p.  67. 

*  Baumeister,  "  Hymni  Homerici,"  1860,  p.  108  et  seq. 


BAUMEISTER'S  THEORY  17 

* 
in  (i)  two  perfect  little  poems  ;  (2)  two  larger 

hymns  ;  (3)  three  lacerated  fragments  of 
hymns,  one  lacking  its  beginning,  the  other 
wofully  deprived  of  its  end.  Another  savant 
detects  no  less  than  eight  fragments,  with  in- 
terpolations ;  though  perhaps  no  biblical  critic 
ejusdem  farince  has  yet  detected  eight  Isaiahs. 
There  are  about  ten  other  theories  of  similar 
plausibility  and  value.  Meanwhile  Baumeister 
argues  that  the  Pythian  Hymn  (our  second 
part)  is  an  imitation  of  the  Delian  ;  by  a 
follower,  not  of  Homer,  but  of  Hesiod.  Thus, 
the  Hesiodic  school  was  closely  connected 
with  Delphi  ;  the  Homeric  with  Ionia,  so 
that  Delphi  rarely  occurs  in  the  Epics  ;  in 
fact  only  thrice  (I.  405,  9.  80,  A.  581).  The 
local  knowledge  is  accurate  (Pythian  Hymn, 
103  sqq.}.  These  are  local  legends,  and 
knowledge  of  the  curious  chariot  ritual  of 
Onchestus.  The  Muses  are  united  with  the 
Graces  as  in  a  work  of  art  in  the  Delphian 
temple.  The  poet  chooses  the  Hesiodic  and 
un-Homeric  myth  of  Heaven  and  Earth, 
and  their  progeny  :  a  myth  current  also  in 


1 8  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

+ 
Polynesia,  Australia,  and  New  Zealand.     The 

poet  is  full  of  inquiry  as  to  origins,  even  ety- 
mological, as  is  Hesiod.  Like  Hesiod  (and 
Mr.  Max  Muller),  origines  rerum  ex  nominibus 
explicaL  Finally,  the  second  poet  (and  here 
every  one  must  agree)  is  a  much  worse  poet 
than  the  first.  As  for  the  prophetic  word  of 
warning  to  the  Crisaeans  and  its  fulfilment, 
Baumeister  urges  that  the  people  of  Cirrha, 
the  seaport,  not  of  Crisa,  were  punished,  in 
Olympiad  47  (Grote,  ii.  374). 

Turning  to  Gemoll,  we  find  him  maintain- 
ing that  the  two  parts  were  in  ancient  times 
regarded  as  one  hymn  in  the  age  of  Aristo- 
phanes.1 If  so,  we  can  only  reply,  if  we 
agree  with  Baumeister,  that  in  the  age  of 
Aristophanes,  or  earlier,  there  was  a  plentiful 
lack  of  critical  discrimination.  As  to  Bau- 
meister's  theory  that  the  second  part  is 
Hesiodic,  Gemoll  finds  a  Hesiodic  reminis- 
cence in  the  first  part  (line  121),  while  there 
are  Homeric  reminiscences  in  the  second 
part. 

1  Die  Homerischen  ffymnen,  p.  116  (1886). 


HYMN  AND  EPIC  19 

Thus  do  the  learned  differ  among  them- 
selves, and  an  ordinary  reader  feels  tempted 
to  rely  on  his  own  literary  taste. 

According  to  that  criterion,  I  think  we  pro- 
bably have  in  the  Hymn  the  work  of  a  good 
poet,  in  the  early  part ;  and  in  the  latter  part, 
or  second  Hymn,  the  work  of  a  bad  poet, 
selecting  unmanageable  passages  of  myth, 
and  handling  them  pedantically  and  ill.  At 
all  events  we  have  here  work  visibly  third 
rate,  which  cannot  be  said,  in  my  poor 
opinion,  about  the  immense  mass  of  the  Iliad 
and  Odyssey.  The  great  Alexandrian  critics 
did  not  use  the  Hymns  as  illustrative  material 
in  their  discussion  of  Homer.  Their  instinct 
was  correct,  and  we  must  not  start  the  con- 
sideration of  the  Homeric  question  from  these 
much  neglected  pieces.  We  must  not  study 
obscurum  per  obscurius.  The  genius  of  the 
Epic  soars  high  above  such  myths  as  those 
about  Pytho,  Typhaon,  and  the  Apollo  who 
is  alternately  a  dolphin  and  a  meteor  :  soars 
high  above  pedantry  and  bad  etymology.  In 
the  Epics  we  breathe  a  purer  air. 


20  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

Descending,  as  it  did,  from  the  myth- 
ology of  savages,  the  mythic  store  of  Greece 
was  rich  in  legends  such  as  we  find 
among  the  lowest  races.  Homer  usually 
ignores  them  :  Hesiod  and  the  authors  of 
the  Hymns  are  less  noble  in  their  selec- 
tions. 

For  this  reason  and  for  many  others,  we 
regard  the  Hymns,  on  the  whole,  as  post- 
Homeric,  while  their  collector,  by  inserting 
the  Hymn  to  Ares,  shows  little  proof  of  dis- 
crimination. Only  the  methods  of  modern 
German  scholars,  such  as  Wilamowitz  Mollen- 
dorf,  and  of  Englishmen  like  Mr.  Walter 
Leaf,  can  find  in  the  Epics  marks  of  such 
confusion,  dislocation,  and  interpolations  as 
confront  us  in  the  Hymn  to  Apollo.  (I 
may  refer  to  my  work,  "  Homer  and  the 
Epic,"  for  a  defence  of  the  unity  of  Iliad 
and  Odyssey.)  For  example,  Mr.  Verrall 
certainly  makes  it  highly  probable  that  the 
Pythian  Hymn,  at  least  in  its  concluding 
words  of  the  God,  is  not  earlier  than  the 
sixth  century.  But  no  proof  of  anything 


RELIGION  21 


like  this  force  is  brought  against  the  anti- 
quity of  the  Iliad  or  Odyssey. 

As  to  the  myths  in  the  Hymns,  I  would 
naturally  study  them  from  the  standpoint  of 
anthropology,  and  in  the  light  of  compari- 
son of  the  legends  of  much  more  backward 
peoples  than  the  Greeks.  But  that  light  at 
present  is  for  me  broken  and  confused. 

I  have  been  led  to  conclusions  varying 
from  those  of  such  students  as  Mr.  Tylor 
and  Mr.  Spencer,  and  these  conclusions 
should  be  stated,  before  they  are  applied 
to  the  Myth  of  Apollo.  I  am  not  inclined, 
like  them,  to  accept  "  Animism,"  or  "  The 
Ghost  Theory,"  as  the  master-key  to  the 
origin  of  religion,  though  Animism  is  a 
great  tributary  stream.  To  myself  it  now 
appears  that  among  the  lowest  known  races 
we  find  present  a  fluid  mass  of  beliefs  both 
high  and  low,  from  the  belief  in  a  moral 
creative  being,  a  judge  of  men,  to  the  pettiest 
fable  which  envisages  him  as  a  medicine- 
man, or  even  as  a  beast  or  bird.  In  my 
opinion  the  higher  belief  may  very  well  be 


22  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

the  earlier.  While  I  can  discern  the  processes 
by  which  the  lower  myths  were  evolved,  and 
were  attached  to  a  worthier  pre-existing 
creed,  I  cannot  see  how,  if  the  lower  faiths 
came  first,  the  higher  faith  was  ever  evolved 
out  of  them  by  very  backward  savages. 

On  the  other  side,  in  the  case  of  Australia, 
Mr.  Tylor  writes :  "  For  a  long  time  after 
Captain  Cook's  visit,  the  information  as  to 
native  religious  ideas  is  of  the  scantiest." 
This  was  inevitable,  for  our  information  has 
only  been  obtained  with  the  utmost  diffi- 
culty, and  under  promises  of  secrecy,  by 
later  inquirers  who  had  entirely  won  the 
confidence  of  the  natives,  and  had  been  initi- 
ated into  their  Mysteries.  Mr.  Tylor  goes 
on  in  the  same  sentence :  "  But,  since  the 
period  of  European  colonists  and  mission- 
aries, a  crowd  of  alleged  native  names  for 
the  Supreme  Deity  and  a  great  Evil  Deity 
have  been  recorded,  which,  if  really  of  native 
origin,  would  show  the  despised  black  fellow 
as  in  possession  of  theological  generalisations 
as  to  the  formation  and  conservation  of  the 


BORROWED  BELIEFS  23 

universe,  and  the  nature  of  good  and  evil, 
comparable  with  those  of  his  white  supplanter 
in  the  land."  ]  Mr.  Tylor  then  proceeds  to 
argue  that  these  ideas  have  been  borrowed 
from  missionaries.  I  have  tried  to  reply  to 
this  argument  by  proving,  for  example,  that 
the  name  of  Baiame,  one  of  these  deities, 
could  not  have  been  borrowed  (as  Mr.  Tylor 
seems  inclined  to  hold)  from  a  missionary 
tract  published  sixteen  years  after  we  first 
hear  of  Baiame,  who,  again,  was  certainly 
dominant  before  the  arrival  of  missionaries. 
I  have  adduced  other  arguments  of  the  same 
tendency,  and  I  will  add  that  the  earliest 
English  explorers  and  missionaries  in  Virginia 
and  New  England  (1586-1622)  report  from 
America  beliefs  absolutely  parallel  in  many 
ways  to  the  creeds  now  reported  from 
Australia.  Among  these  notions  are  "  ideas 
of  moral  judgment  and  retribution  after 
death,"  which  in  Australia  Mr.  Tylor  marks 
as  "  imported." 2  In  my  opinion  the 

1  Journal  Anthrop.  hist.,  Feb.  1892,  p.  290. 

2  (Op.  clt.,  p.  296.)     See  "Are  Savage  Gods  Borrowed  from 
Missionaries?"  {Nineteenth  Century,  January  1899). 


24  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

certainty  that  the  beliefs  in  America  were 
not  imported,  is  another  strong  argument  for 
their  native  character,  when  they  are  found 
with  such  striking  resemblances  among  the 
very  undeveloped  savages  of  Australia. 

Savages,  Mr.  Hartland  says  in  a  censure 
of  my  theory,  are  "guiltless"  of  Christian 
teaching.1  If  Mr.  Hartland  is  right,  Mr. 
Tylor  is  wrong ;  the  ideas,  whatever  else 
they  are,  are  unimported,  yet,  teste  Mr. 
Tylor,  the  ideas  are  comparable  with  those 
of  the  black  man's  white  supplanters.  I 
would  scarcely  go  so  far.  If  we  take,  how- 
ever, the  best  ideas  attributed  to  the  blacks, 
and  hold  them  disengaged  from  the  accre- 
tion of  puerile  fables  with  which  they  are 
overrun,  then  there  are  discovered  notions 
of  high  religious  value,  undeniably  ana- 
logous to  some  Christian  dogmas.  But  the 
sanction  of  the  Australian  gods  is  as  power- 
fully lent  to  silly,  or  cruel,  or  needless 
ritual,  as  to  some  moral  ideas  of  weight 
and  merit.  In  brief,  as  far  as  I  am  able 

1  Hartland,  "Folk-Lore,"  ix.  4,312;  x.  I,  p.  51. 


APOLLO  25 

to  see,  all  sorts  of  ideas,  the  lowest  and 
the  highest,  are  held  at  once  confusedly 
by  savages,  and  the  same  confusion  survives 
in  ancient  Greek  belief.  As  far  back  as  we 
can  trace  him,  man  had  a  wealth  of  religious 
and  mythical  conceptions  to  choose  from, 
and  different  peoples,  as  they  advanced  in 
civilisation,  gave  special  prominence  to  dif- 
ferent elements  in  the  primal  stock  of  beliefs. 
The  choice  of  Israel  was  unique :  Greece 
retained  far  more  of  the  lower  ancient 
ideas,  but  gave  to  them  a  beauty  of  grace 
and  form  which  is  found  among  no  other 
race. 

If  this  view  be  admitted  for  the  moment, 
and  for  the  argument's  sake,  we  may  ask  how 
it  applies  to  the  myths  of  Apollo.  Among 
the  ideas  which  even  now  prevail  among  the 
backward  peoples  still  in  the  neolithic  stage 
of  culture,  we  may  select  a  few  conceptions. 
There  is  the  conception  of  a  great  primal 
anthropomorphic  Being,  who  was  in  the  be- 
ginning, or,  at  least,  about  whose  beginning 
legend  is  silent.  He  made  all  things,  he 


26  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

existed  on  earth  (in  some  cases),  teaching 
men  the  arts  of  life  and  rules  of  conduct, 
social  and  moral.  In  those  instances  he 
retired  from  earth,  and  now  dwells  on  high, 
still  concerned  with  the  behaviour  of  the 
tribes. 

This  is  a  lofty  conception,  but  it  is  en- 
tangled with  a  different  set  of  legends.  This 
primal  Being  is  mixed  up  with  strange  per- 
sons of  a  race  earlier  than  man,  half  human, 
half  bestial.  Many  things,  in  some  cases  al- 
most all  things,  are  mythically  regarded,  not 
as  created,  but  as  the  results  of  adventures 
and  metamorphoses  among  the  members  of 
this  original  race.  Now  in  New  Zealand, 
Polynesia,  Greece,  and  elsewhere,  but  not,  to 
my  knowledge,  in  the  very  most  backward 
peoples,  the  place  of  this  original  race,  "  Old, 
old  Ones,"  is  filled  by  great  natural  objects, 
Earth,  Sky,  Sea,  Forests,  regarded  as  beings 
of  human  parts  and  passions. 

The  present  universe  is  mythically  arranged 
in  regard  to  their  early  adventures :  the 
separation  of  sky  and  earth,  and  so  forth. 


BARBARIC  MYTHS  27 

Where  this  belief  prevails  we  find  little  or 
no  trace  of  the  primal  maker  and  master, 
though  we  do  find  strange  early  metaphysics 
of  curiously  abstract  quality  (Maoris,  Zunis, 
Polynesians).  As  far  as  our  knowledge  goes, 
Greek  mythology  springs  partly  from  this 
stratum  of  barbaric  as  opposed  to  strictly 
savage  thought.  Ouranos  and  Gaea,  Cronos, 
and  the  Titans  represent  the  primal  beings 
who  have  their  counterpart  in  Maori  and 
Wintu  legend.  But  these,  in  the  Greece  of 
the  Epics  and  Hesiod,  have  long  been  subor- 
dinated to  Zeus  and  the  Olympians,  who  are 
envisaged  as  triumphant  gods  of  a  younger 
generation.  There  is  no  Creator ;  but  Zeus 
— how,  we  do  not  know — has  come  to  be 
regarded  as  a  Being  relatively  Supreme,  and 
as,  on  occasion,  the  guardian  of  morality.  Of 
course  his  conduct,  in  myth,  is  represented 
as  a  constant  violation  of  the  very  rules  of 
life  which  he  expects  mankind  to  observe. 
I  am  disposed  to  look  on  this  essential  con- 
tradiction as  the  result  of  a  series  of  mythical 
accretions  on  an  original  conception  of  Zeus 


28  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

in  his  higher  capacity.  We  can  see  how  the 
accretions  arose.  Man  never  lived  consist- 
ently on  the  level  of  his  best  original  ideas  : 
savages  also  have  endless  myths  of  Baiame 
or  Daramulun,  or  Bunjil,  in  which  these 
personages,  though  interested  in  human  be- 
haviour, are  puerile,  cruel,  absurd,  lustful, 
and  so  on.  Man  will  sport  thus  with  his 
noblest  intuitions. 

In  the  same  way,  in  Christian  Europe,  we 
may  contrast  Dunbar's  pious  "  Ballat  of  Our 
Lady "  with  his  "  Kynd  Kittok,"  in  which 
God  has  his  eye  on  the  soul  of  an  intemperate 
ale-wife  who  has  crept  into  Paradise.  "  God 
lukit,  and  saw  her  lattin  in,  and  leugh  His 
heart  sair."  Examples  of  this  kind  of  sportive 
irreverence  are  common  enough  ;  their  root 
is  in  human  nature  :  and  they  could  not  be 
absent  in  the  mythology  of  savage  or  of 
ancient  peoples.  To  Zeus  the  myths  of  this 
kind  would  come  to  be  attached  in  several 
ways. 

As  a  nature-god  of  the  Heaven  he  marries 
the  Earth.  The  tendency  of  men  being  to 


ZEUS  29 

claim  descent  from  a  God,  for  each  family 
with  this  claim  a  myth  of  a  separate  divine 
amour  was  needed.  Where  there  had  ex- 
isted Totemism,  or  belief  in  kinship  with 
beasts,  the  myth  of  the  amour  of  a  wolf,  bull, 
serpent,  swan,  and  so  forth,  was  attached  to 
the  legend  of  Zeus.  Zeus  had  been  that 
swan,  serpent,  wolf,  or  bull.  Once  more, 
ritual  arose,  in  great  part,  from  the  rites  of 
sympathetic  magic. 

This  or  that  mummery  was  enacted  by 
men  for  a  magical  purpose,  to  secure  success 
in  the  chase,  agriculture,  or  war.  When 
the  performers  asked,  "Why  do  we  do  thus 
and  thus  ? "  the  answer  was,  "  Zeus  first  did 
so,"  or  Demeter,  or  Apollo  did  so,  on  a 
certain  occasion.  About  that  occasion  a 
myth  was  framed,  and  finally  there  was 
no  profligacy,  cruelty,  or  absurdity  of  which 
the  God  was  not  guilty.  Yet,  all  the  time, 
he  punished  adultery,  inhospitality,  perjury, 
incest,  cannibalism,  and  other  excesses,  of 
which,  in  legend,  he  was  always  setting  the 
example.  We  know  from  Xenophanes,  Plato, 


30  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

and  St.  Augustine  how  men's  consciences 
were  tormented  by  this  unceasing  contradic- 
tion :  this  overgrowth  of  myth  on  the  stock 
of  an  idea  originally  noble.  It  is  thus  that 
I  would  attempt  to  account  for  the  contra- 
dictory conceptions  of  Zeus,  for  example. 

As  to  Apollo,  I  do  not  think  that  myth- 
ologists  determined  to  find,  in  Apollo,  some 
deified  aspect  of  Nature,  have  laid  stress 
enough  on  his  counterparts  in  savage  myth. 
We  constantly  find,  in  America,  in  the 
Andaman  Isles,  and  in  Australia,  that,  sub- 
ordinate to  the  primal  Being,  there  exists 
another  who  enters  into  much  closer  relations 
with  mankind.  He  is  often  concerned  with 
healing  and  with  prophecy,  or  with  the 
inspiration  of  conjurers  or  shamans.  Some- 
times he  is  merely  an  underling,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Massachusetts  Kiehtan,  and  his 
more  familiar  subordinate,  Hobamoc.1  But 
frequently  this  go-between  of  God  and  Man 
is  (like  Apollo)  the  Son  of  the  primal  Being 
(often  an  unbegotten  Son)  or  his  Messenger 

1  Winslow,  1622. 


THE  SON  OF  GOD  31 

(Andaman,  Noongaburrah,  Kurnai,  Kamilaroi, 
and  other  Australian  tribes).  He  reports 
to  the  somewhat  otiose  primal  Being  about 
men's  conduct,  and  he  sometimes  super- 
intends the  Mysteries.  I  am  disposed  to 
regard  the  prophetic  and  oracular  Apollo 
(who,  as  the  Hymn  to  Hermes  tells  us,  alone 
knows  the  will  of  Father  Zeus)  as  the  Greek 
modification  of  this  personage  in  savage 
theology.  Where  this  Son  is  found  in 
Australia,  I  by  no  means  regard  him  as  a 
savage  refraction  from  Christian  teaching 
about  a  mediator,  for  Christian  teaching,  in 
fact,  has  not  been  accepted,  least  of  all  by 
the  highly  conservative  sorcerers,  or  shamans, 
or  wirreenuns  of  the  tribes.  European  ob- 
servers, of  course,  have  been  struck  by  (and 
have  probably  exaggerated  in  some  instances) 
the  Christian  analogy.  But  if  they  had  been 
as  well  acquainted  with  ancient  Greek  as 
with  Christian  theology  they  would  have 
remarked  that  the  Andaman,  American,  and 
Australian  "  mediators "  are  infinitely  more 
akin  to  Apollo,  in  his  relations  with  Zeus 


32  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

and   with    men,   than  lo    any    Person    about 
whom    missionaries    can    preach.       But    the 
most  devoted  believer  in  borrowing  will  not 
say    that,    when     the     Australian     mediator, 
Tundun,    son    of    Mungun-gnaur,   turns   into 
a  porpoise,  the  Kurnai  have  borrowed  from 
our    Hymn    of    the    Dolphin    Apollo.     It    is 
absurd  to  maintain  that  the  Son  of  the  God, 
the  go-between  of  God  and  men,  in  savage 
theology,     is    borrowed    from     missionaries, 
while    this     being    has    so    much    more     in 
common  with  Apollo  (from  whom  he  cannot 
conceivably  be   borrowed)  than  with   Christ. 
The   Tundun-porpoise   story   seems   to   have 
arisen   in   gratitude   to    the    porpoise,   which 
drives  fishes  inshore,  for  the  natives  to  catch. 
Neither  Tharamulun  nor  Hobamoc  (Australian 
and  American   Gods   of  healing   and   sooth- 
saying), who  appear  to  men  as  serpents,  are 
borrowed  from  Asclepius,  or  from  the  Python 
of  Apollo.     The   processes  have   been  quite 
different,  and  in  Apollo,  the  oracular  son  of 
Zeus,  who  declares  his  counsel  to  men,  I  am 
apt  to  see  a  beautiful  Greek  modification  of 


APOLLO  33 

the  type  of  the  mediating  Son  of  the  primal 
Being  of  savage  belief,  adorned  with  many  of 
the  attributes  of  the  Sun  God,  from  whom, 
however,  he  is  fundamentally  distinct.  Apollo, 
I  think,  is  an  adorned  survival  of  the  Son 
of  the  God  of  savage  theology.  He  was  not, 
at  first,  a  Nature  God,  solar  or  not.  This 
opinion,  if  it  seems  valid,  helps  to  account, 
in  part,  for  the  animal  metamorphoses  of 
Apollo,  a  survival  from  the  mental  confusion 
of  savagery.  Such  a  confusion,  in  Greece, 
makes  it  necessary  for  the  wise  son  of  Zeus 
to  seek  information,  as  in  the  Hymn  to 
Hermes,  from  an  old  clown.  This  medley  of 
ideas,  in  the  mind  of  a  civilised  poet,  who 
believes  that  Apollo  is  all-knowing  in  the 
counsels  of  eternity,  is  as  truly  mythological 
as  Dunbar's  God  who  laughs  his  heart  sore 
at  an  ale-house  jest.  Dunbar,  and  the  author 
of  the  Hymn,  and  the  savage  with  his  tale  of 
Tundun  or  Daramulun,  have  all  quite  contra- 
dictory sets  of  ideas  alternately  present  to 
their  minds ;  the  mediaeval  poet,  of  course, 
being  conscious  of  the  contradiction,  which 


34  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

makes  the  essence  of  his  humour,  such  as  it 
is.  To  Greece,  in  its  loftier  moods,  Apollo 
was,  despite  his  myth,  a  noble  source  of 
inspiration,  of  art,  and  of  conduct.  But  the 
contradiction  in  the  low  myth  and  high 
doctrine  of  Apollo,  could  never  be  eradicated 
under  any  influence  less  potent  than  that  of 
Christianity.1  If  this  theory  of  Apollo's  origin 
be  correct,  many  pages  of  learned  works  on 
Mythology  need  to  be  rewritten. 

1  For  authorities,  see  Mr.  Howitt  in  \!n&  Journal  of  the  Anthro- 
pological Institute,  and  my  "  Making  of  Religion."  Also  Folk 
Lore,  December-March,  1898-99. 


Pelhssier  &  Allen,  sc. 


HERMES    WITH    THE    BOY  D1ONYSOS 
Statue  ty  Praxiteles,  found  at  Olympia. 


THE   HYMN   TO   HERMES 

THE  Hymn  to  Hermes  is  remarkable  for 
the  corruption  of  the  text,  which  appears 
even  to  present  lacunae.  The  English  reader 
will  naturally  prefer  the  lively  and  charming 
version  of  Shelley  to  any  other.  The  poet 
can  tell  and  adorn  the  story  without  visibly 
floundering  in  the  pitfalls  of  a  dislocated  text. 
If  we  may  judge  by  line  51,  and  if  Greek 
musical  tradition  be  correct,  the  date  of  the 
Hymn  cannot  be  earlier  than  the  fortieth 
Olympiad.  About  that  period  Terpander  is 
said  to  have  given  the  lyre  seven  strings  (as 
Mercury  does  in  the  poem),  in  place  of  the 
previous  four  strings.  The  date  of  Terpander 
is  dubious,  but  probably  the  seven-stringed 
lyre  had  long  been  in  common  use  before 
the  poet  attributed  the  invention  to  Hermes. 
The  same  argument  applies  to  the.  antiquity 

35 


36  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

of  writing,  assigned  by  poets  as  the  invention 
of  various  mythical  and  prehistoric  heroes. 
But  the  poets  were  not  careful  archaeologists, 
and  regarded  anachronisms  as  genially  as 
did  Shakespeare  or  Scott.  Moreover,  the  fact 
that  Terpander  did  invent  the  seven  chords 
is  not  beyond  dispute  historically,  while, 
mythically,  Apollo  and  Amphion  are  credited 
with  the  idea.  That  Hermes  invented  fire- 
sticks  seems  a  fable  which  robs  Prometheus 
of  the  honour.  We  must  not  look  for  any 
kind  of  consistency  in  myth. 

The  learned  differ  as  to  the  precise  purpose 
of  the  Hymn,  and  some  even  exclude  the 
invention  of  the  cithara.  To  myself  it  seems 
that  the  poet  chiefly  revels  in  a  very  familiar 
subject  of  savage  humour  (notably  among  the 
Zulus),  the  extraordinary  feats  and  tricks  of 
a  tiny  and  apparently  feeble  and  helpless 
person  or  animal,  such  as  Brer  Rabbit.  The 
triumph  of  astuteness  over  strength  (a  triumph 
here  assigned  to  the  infancy  of  a  God)  is  the 
theme.  Hermes  is  here  a  rustic  doublure  of 
Apollo,  as  he  was,  in  fact,  mainly  a  rural 


HERMES  37 


deity,  though  he  became  the  Messenger  of 
the  Gods,  and  the  Guide  of  Souls  outworn. 
In  these  respects  he  answers  to  the  Australian 
Grogoragally,  in  his  double  relation  to  the 
Father,  Boyma,  and  to  men  living  and  dead.1 
As  a  go-between  of  Gods  and  men,  Hermes 
may  be  a  doublure  of  Apollo,  but,  as  the 
Hymn  shows,  he  aspired  in  vain  to  Apollo's 
oracular  function.  In  one  respect  his  be- 
haviour has  a  singular  savage  parallel.  His 
shoes  woven  of  twigs,  so  as  not  to  show  the 
direction  in  which  he  is  proceeding,  answer 
to  the  equally  shapeless  feather  sandals  of 
the  blacks  who  "go  Kurdaitcha,"  that  is,  as 
avengers  of  blood.  I  have  nowhere  else  found 
this  practice  as  to  the  shoes,  which,  after  all, 
cannot  conceal  the  direction  of  the  spoor 
from  a  native  tracker.2  The  trick  of  driving 
the  cattle  backwards  answers  to  the  old 
legend  that  Bruce  reversed  the  shoes  of 

1  Manning,  "  Notes  on  the  Aborigines  of    New  Holland." 
Read  before  Royal  Society  of  New  South  Wales,  1882.     Notes 
taken  down  in  1845.     Compare  Mrs.    Langloh    Parker,  More 
Australian  Legendary  Tales,  "The  Legend  of  the  Flowers." 

2  Spencer    and    Gillen,     "Natives    of   Central    Australia," 
p.  651,  s.v. 


38  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

his   horse   when   he   fled   from   the   court  of 
Edward  I. 

The  humour  of  the  Hymn  is  rather  rustic  : 
cattle  theft  is  the  chief  joke,  cattle  theft  by 
a  baby.  The  God,  divine  as  he  is,  feels  his 
mouth  water  for  roast  beef,  a  primitive  con- 
ception. In  fact,  throughout  this  Hymn 
we  are  far  from  the  solemn  regard  paid 
to  Apollo,  from  the  wistful  beauty  of  the 
Hymn  to  Demeter,  and  from  the  gladness 
and  melancholy  of  the  Hymn  to  Aphrodite. 
Sportive  myths  are  treated  sportively,  as  in 
the  story  of  Ares  and  Aphrodite  in  the 
Odyssey.  Myths  contained  all  conceivable 
elements,  among  others  that  of  humour,  to 
which  the  poet  here  abandons  himself.  The 
statues  and  symbols  of  Hermes  were  inviolably 
sacred  :  as  Guide  of  Souls  he  played  the  part 
of  comforter  and  friend :  he  brought  men 
all  things  lucky  and  fortunate  :  he  made  the 
cattle  bring  forth  abundantly :  he  had  the 
golden  wand  of  wealth.  But  he  was  also 
tricksy  as  a  Brownie  or  as  Puck  ;  and  that 
fairy  aspect  of  his  character  and  legend,  he 


HUMOUR  39 


being  the  midnight  thief  whose  maraudings 
account  for  the  unexplained  disappearances 
of  things,  is  the  chief  topic  of  the  gay  and 
reckless  hymn.  Even  the  Gods,  even  angry 
Apollo,  are  moved  to  laughter,  for  over  sport 
and  playfulness,  too,  Greek  religion  throws 
her  sanction.  At  the  dishonesties  of  com- 
merce (clearly  regarded  as  a  form  of  theft) 
Hermes  winks  his  laughing  eyes  (line  516). 
This  is  not  an  early  Socialistic  protest  against 
"  Commercialism."  The  early  traders,  like 
the  Vikings,  were  alternately  pirates  and 
hucksters,  as  opportunity  served.  Every 
occupation  must  have  its  heavenly  patron, 
its  departmental  deity,  and  Hermes  protects 
thieves  and  raiders,  "  minions  of  the  moon," 
"  clerks  of  St.  Nicholas."  His  very  birth 
is  a  stolen  thing,  the  darkling  fruit  of  a 
divine  amour  in  a  dusky  cavern.  //  chasse 
de  race} 

1  For  the  use  of  Hermes's  tortoise-shell  as  a  musical  instru- 
ment without  strings,  in  early  Anahuac,  see  Prof.  Morse,  in 
Appleton's  Popular  Science  Monthly,  March  1899. 


THE   HYMN  TO   APHRODITE 

THE  Hymn  to  Aphrodite  is,  in  a  literary 
sense,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
quite  the  most  Homeric  in  the  collection.  By 
"  Homeric "  I  mean  that  if  we  found  the 
adventure  of  Anchises  occurring  at  length 
in  the  Iliad,  by  way  of  an  episode,  perhaps 
in  a  speech  of  ^Eneas,  it  would  not  strike  us 
as  inconsistent  in  tone,  though  occasionally 
in  phrase.  Indeed  the  germ  of  the  Hymn 
occurs  in  Iliad,  B.  820:  "  ^Eneas,  whom 
holy  Aphrodite  bore  to  the  embraces  of 
Anchises  on  the  knowes  of  Ida,  a  Goddess 
couching  with  a  mortal."  Again,  in  E.  313, 
ALneas  is  spoken  of  as  the  son  of  Aphrodite 
and  the  neat-herd,  Anchises.  The  celebrated 
prophecy  of  the  future  rule  of  the  children 
of  ^neas  over  the  Trojans  (Y.  307),  pro- 
bably made,  like  many  prophecies,  after  the 


DATE  41 

event,  appears  to  indicate  the  claim  of  a 
Royal  House  at  Ilios,  and  is  regarded  as  of 
later  date  than  the  general  context  of  the 
epic.  The  AZneid  is  constructed  on  this 
hint  ;  the  Romans  claiming  to  be  of  Trojan 
descent  through  ^Eneas.  The  date  of  the 
composition  cannot  be  fixed  from  considera- 
tions of  the  Homeric  tone  ;  thus  lines  238— 
239  may  be  a  reminiscence  of  Odyssey,  A. 
394,  and  other  like  suggestions  are  offered.1 
The  conjectures  as  to  date  vary  from  the 
time  of  Homer  to  that  of  the  Cypria,  of 
Mimnermus  (the  references  to  the  bitterness 
of  loveless  old  age  are  in  his  vein)  of 
Anacreon,  or  even  of  Herodotus  and  the 
Tragedians.  The  words  ararivij,  Trpea-(3eipa, 
and  other  indications  are  relied  on  for  a 
late  date  :  and  there  are  obvious  coincidences 
with  the  Hymn  to  Demeter,  as  in  line  174, 
Demeter  109,  f.  Gemoll,  however,  takes  this 
hymn  to  be  the  earlier. 

About  the  place  of  composition,  Cyprus  or 
Asia  Minor,  the  learned  are  no  less  divided 

1  Gemoll. 


42  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

than  about  the  date.  Many  of  the  grounds 
on  which  their  opinions  rest  appear  un- 
stable. The  relations  of  Aphrodite  to  the 
wild  beasts  under  her  wondrous  spell,  for  in- 
stance, need  not  be  borrowed  from  Circe  with 
her  attendant  beasts.  If  not  of  Homer's 
age,  the  Hymn  is  markedly  successful  as 
a  continuation  of  the  Homeric  tone  and 
manner. 

Modern  Puritanism  naturally  "  condemns  " 
Aphrodite,  as  it  "condemns"  Helen.  But 
Homer  is  lenient ;  Helen  is  under  the  spell 
of  the  Gods,  an  unwilling  and  repentant  tool 
of  Destiny  ;  and  Aphrodite,  too,  is  driven  by 
Zeus  into  the  arms  of  a  mortal.  She  is  atSoirj, 
shamefast ;  and  her  adventure  is  to  her  a 
bitter  sorrow  (199,  200).  The  dread  of 
Anchises — a  man  is  not  long  of  life  who  lies 
with  a  Goddess — refers  to  a  belief  found  from 
Glenfinlas  to  Samoa  and  New  Caledonia,  that 
the  embraces  of  the  spiritual  ladies  of  the 
woodlands  are  fatal  to  men.  The  legend  has 
been  told  to  me  in  the  Highlands,  and  to 
Mr.  Stevenson  in  Samoa,  while  my  cousin, 


ORIENTAL  ELEMENTS  43 

Mr.  J.  J.  Atkinson,  actually  knew  a  Kaneka 
who  died  in  three  days  after  an  amour  like 
that  of  Anchises.  The  Breton  ballad,  Le 
Sieur  Nan,  turns  on  the  same  opinion.  The 
amour  of  Thomas  the  Rhymer  is  a  mediaeval 
analogue  of  the  Idaean  legend. 

Aphrodite  has  better  claims  than  most 
Greek  Gods  to  Oriental  elements.  Herodotus 
and  Pausanias  (i.  xiv.  6,  iii.  23,  i)  look  on  her 
as  a  being  first  worshipped  by  the  Assyrians, 
then  by  the  Paphians  of  Cyprus,  and  Phoeni- 
cians at  Askelon,  who  communicated  the  cult 
to  the  Cythereans.  Cyprus  is  one  of  her 
most  ancient  sites,  and  Ishtar  and  Ashtoreth 
are  among  her  Oriental  analogues.  She 
springs  from  the  sea — 

"  The  wandering  waters  knew  her,  the  winds  and  the 

viewless  ways, 

And  the  roses  grew  rosier,  and  bluer  the  sea-blue 
streams  of  the  bays." 

But  the  charm  of  Aphrodite  is  Greek.  Even 
without  foreign  influence,  Greek  polytheism 
would  have  developed  a  Goddess  of  Love,  as 
did  the  polytheism  of  the  North  (Frigga)  and 


44  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

of  the  Aztecs.  The  rites  of  Adonis,  the  vernal 
year,  are,  even  in  the  name  of  the  hero, 
Oriental.  "The  name  Adonis  is  the  Phoeni- 
cian Adon,  l  Lord.'  "  1  "  The  decay  and  revival 
of  vegetation  "  inspires  the  Adonis  rite,  which 
is  un-Homeric ;  and  was  superfluous,  where 
the  descent  and  return  of  Persephone  typified 
the  same  class  of  ideas.  To  whatever  extent 
contaminated  by  Phoenician  influence,  Aphro- 
dite in  Homer  is  purely  Greek,  in  grace  and 
happy  humanity. 

The  origins  of  Aphrodite,  unlike  the  origins 
of  Apollo,  cannot  be  found  in  a  state  of  low 
savagery.  She  is  a  departmental  Goddess, 
and  as  such,  as  ruling  a  province  of  human 
passion,  she  belongs  to  a  late  development 
of  religion.  To  Christianity  she  was  a  scandal, 
one  of  the  scandals  which  are  absent  from 
the  most  primitive  of  surviving  creeds.  Poly- 
theism, as  if  of  set  purpose,  puts  every  con- 
ceivable aspect  of  life,  good  or  bad,  under 
divine  sanction.  This  is  much  less  the  case 

1  "Golden  Bough,"  i.  279.     Mannhardt,  Antike-Wald-und 
Feldkulte,  p.  274. 


EARLIEST  RELIGION 


in  the  religion  of  the  very  backward  races. 
We  do  not  know  historically,  what  the  germs 
of  religion  were  ;  if  we  look  at  the  most 
archaic  examples,  for  instance  in  Australia  or 
the  Andaman  Islands,  we  find  neither  sacrifice 
nor  departmental  deities. 

Religion  there  is  mainly  a  belief  in  a  primal 
Being,  not  necessarily  conceived  as  spiritual, 
but  rather  as  an  undying  magnified  Man, 
of  indefinitely  extensive  powers.  He  dwells 
above  "  the  vaulted  sky  beyond  which  lies  the 
mysterious  home  of  that  great  and  powerful 
Being,  who  is  Bunjil,  Baiame,  or  Daramulun 
in  different  tribal  languages,  but  who  in  all  is 
known  by  a  name  the  equivalent  of  the  only 
one  used  by  the  Kurnai,  which  is  Mungan- 
ngaur,  or  '  Our  Father.'  "  1  This  Father  is 
conceived  of  in  some  places  as  "  a  very  great 
old  man  with  a  long  beard,"  enthroned  on, 
or  growing  into,  a  crystal  throne.  Often  he 
is  served  by  a  son  or  sons  (Apollo,  Hermes), 
frequently  regarded  as  spiritually  begotten  ; 
elsewhere,  looked  on  as  the  son  of  the  wife 

1  Howitt,  Journal  Anthrop.  Inst.,  xvi.  p.  54. 


46  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

of  the  deity,  and  as  father  of  the  tribe.1 
Scandals  connected  with  fatherhood,  amorous 
intrigues  so  abundant  in  Greek  mythology,  are 
usually  not  reported  among  the  lowest  races. 
In  one  known  case,  the  deity,  Pundjel  or 
Bunjil,  takes  the  wives  of  Karween,  who  is 
changed  into  a  crane.2  This  is  one  of  the 
many  savage  aetiological  myths  which  account 
for  the  peculiarities  of  animals  as  a  result  of 
metamorphosis,  in  the  manner  of  Ovid.  It 
has  been  connected  with  the  legend  of  Bunjil, 
who  is  thus  envisaged,  not  as  "  Our  Father  " 
beyond  the  vault  of  heaven,  who  still  inspires 
poets,3  but  as  a  wandering,  shape-shifting 
medicine-man.  Zeus,  the  Heavenly  Father, 
of  course  appears  times  without  number  in 
the  same  contradictory  aspect. 

But  such  anecdotes  are  either  not  common, 
or  are  not  frequently  reported,  in  the  faiths 
of  the  most  archaic  of  known  races.  Much 
more  frequently  we  find  the  totemistic  con- 
ception. All  the  kindreds  with  animal  names 

1  The  Kurnai  hold  this  belief. 

2  Brough  Smyth,  vol.  i.  p.  426. 

3  Journal  Anthrop.  fust.,  xvi.  pp.  330-331. 


MYTHICAL  CONTRADICTIONS  47 

(why  adopted  we  do  not  know)  are  apt  to 
explain  these  designations  by  descent  from 
the  animals  selected,  or  by  metamorphosis  of 
the  primal  beasts  into  men.  This  collides 
with  the  other  notions  of  descent  from,  or 
creation  or  manufacture  out  of  clay,  by  the 
primal  Being,  "  Father  Ours."  Such  contra- 
dictions are  nothing  to  the  savage  theologian, 
who  is  no  reconciler  or  apologist.  But  when 
reconciliation  and  apology  are  later  found  to 
be  desirable,  as  in  Greece,  it  is  easy  to  explain 
that  we  are  descended  both  from  Our  Father, 
and  from  a  swan,  cow,  ant,  serpent,  dog,  wolf, 
or  what  you  will.  That  beast  was  Our  Father, 
say  Father  Zeus,  in  animal  disguise.  Thus 
Greek  legends  of  bestial  amours  of  a  God  are 
probably,  in  origin,  not  primitive,  but  scandals 
produced  in  the  effort  to  reconcile  contra- 
dictory myths.  The  result  is  a  worse  scandal, 
an  accretion  of  more  low  myths  about  a 
conception  of  the  primal  Being  which  was, 
relatively,  lofty  and  pure. 

Again,    as    aristocracies    arose,    the    chief 
families  desired  to  be  sons  of  the  Father  in  a 


48  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

special  sense  :  not  as  common  men  are.  Her 
Majesty's  lineage  may  thus  be  traced  to 
Woden  !  Now  each  such  descent  required  a 
separate  divine  amour,  and  a  new  scandalous 
story  of  Zeus  or  Apollo,  though  Zeus  may 
originally  have  been  as  celibate  as  the 
Australian  Baiame  or  Noorele  are,  in  some 
legends.  Once  more,  syncretism  came  in  as 
a  mythopceic  influence.  Say  that  several 
Australian  nations,  becoming  more  polite, 
amalgamated  into  a  settled  people.  Then  we 
should  have  several  Gods,  the  chief  Beings  of 
various  tribes,  say  Noorele,  Bunjil,  Mungan- 
ngaur,  Baiame,  Daramulun,  Mangarrah,  Mul- 
kari,  Pinmeheal.  The  most  imposing  God  of 
the  dominant  tribe  might  be  elevated  to  the 
sovereignty  of  Zeus.  But,  in  the  new  ad- 
ministration, places  must  be  found  for  the 
other  old  tribal  Gods.  They  are,  therefore, 
set  over  various  departments :  Love,  War, 
Agriculture,  Medicine,  Poetry,  Commerce, 
while  one  or  more  of  the  sons  take  the  places 
of  Apollo  and  Hermes.  There  appears  to 
be  a  very  early  example  of  syncretism  in 


ORIGIN  OF  MYTHIC  SCANDALS        49 

Australia.  Daramulun  (Papang,  Our  Father) 
is  "  Master  of  All,"  on  the  coast,  near  Shoal- 
haven  River.  Baiame  is  "  Master  of  All,"  far 
north,  on  the  Barwan.  But  the  locally  inter- 
mediate tribe  of  the  Wiraijuri,  or  Wiradthuri, 
have  adopted  Baiame,  and  reduced  Dara- 
mulun to  an  exploded  bugbear,  a  merely 
nominal  superintendent  of  the  Mysteries ; 
and  the  southern  Coast  Murring  have  re- 
jected Baiame  altogether,  or  never  knew 
him,  while  making  Daramulun  supreme. 

One  obvious  method  of  reconciling  various 
tribal  Gods  in  a  syncretic  Olympus,  is  the 
genealogical.  All  are  children  of  Zeus,  for 
example,  or  grandchildren,  or  brothers  and 
sisters.  Fancy  then  provides  an  amour  to 
account  for  each  relationship.  Zeus  loved 
Leto,  Leda,  Europa,  and  so  forth.  Thus  a 
God,  originally  innocent  and  even  moral, 
becomes  a  perfect  pattern  of  vice  ;  and  the 
eternal  contradiction  vexes  the  souls  of  Xeno- 
phanes,  Plato,  and  St.  Augustine.  Sacrifices, 
even  human  sacrifices,  wholly  unknown  to  the 
most  archaic  faiths,  were  made  to  ghosts  of 


50  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

men  :  and  especially  of  kings,  in  the  case  of 
human  sacrifice.  Thence  they  were  trans- 
ferred to  Gods,  and  behold  a  new  scandal, 
when  men  began  to  reflect  under  more  civi- 
lised conditions.  Thus  all  these  legends  of 
divine  amours  and  sins,  or  most  of  them, 
including  the  wanton  legend  of  Aphrodite, 
and  all  the  human  sacrifices  which  survived 
to  the  disgrace  of  Greek  religion,  are  really 
degrading  accessories  to  the  most  archaic 
beliefs.  They  are  products,  not  of  the  most 
rudimentary  savage  existence,  but  of  the 
evolution  through  the  lower  and  higher  bar- 
barism. The  worst  features  of  savage  ritual 
are  different — taking  the  lines  of  sorcery,  of 
cruel  initiations,  and,  perhaps,  of  revival  of 
the  licence  of  promiscuity,  or  of  Group  Mar- 
riage. Of  these  things  the  traces  are  not 
absent  from  Greek  faith,  but  they  are  com- 
paratively inconspicuous. 

Buffoonery,  as  we  have  seen,  exists  in  all 
grades  of  civilised  or  savage  rites,  and  was  not 
absent  from  the  popular  festivals  of  the  medi- 
aeval Church  :  religion  throwing  her  mantle 


HESTIA  51 

over  every  human  field  of  action,  as  over 
Folk  Medicine.  On  these  lines  I  venture  to 
explain  what  seem  to  me  the  strange  and  re- 
pugnant elements  of  the  religion  of  a  people 
so  refined,  and  so  capable  of  high  moral 
ideas,  as  the  Greeks.  Aphrodite  is  personified 
desire,  but  religion  did  not  throw  her  mantle 
over  desire  alone  ;  the  cloistered  life,  the 
frank  charm  of  maidenhood,  were  as  dear  to 
the  Greek  genius,  and  were  consecrated  by 
the  examples  of  Athene,  Artemis,  and  Hestia. 
She  presides  over  the  pure  element  of  the 
fire  of  the  hearth,  just  as  in  the  household 
did  the  daughter  of  the  king  or  chief.  Hers 
are  the  first  libations  at  feasts  (xxviii.  5), 
though  in  Homer  they  are  poured  forth  to 
Hermes. 

We  may  explain  the  Gods  of  the  minor 
hymns  in  the  same  way.  Pan,  for  instance, 
as  the  son  of  Hermes,  inherits  the  wild, 
frolicsome,  rural  aspect  of  his  character.  The 
Dioscuri  answer  to  the  Vedic  Asvins,  twin 
rescuers  of  men  in  danger  on  land  or  sea  : 
perhaps  the  Evening  and  Morning  Star. 


52  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

Dionysus  is  another  aspect  of  the  joy  of  life 
and  of  the  world  and  the  vintaging.  Moon 
and  Sun,  Selene  and  Helios,  appear  as  quite 
distinct  from  Artemis  and  Apollo  ;  Gaea,  the 
Earth,  is  equally  distinct  from  Demeter.  The 
Hymn  to  Ares  is  quite  un-Homeric  in  char- 
acter, and  is  oddly  conceived  in  the  spirit  of 
the  Scottish  poltroon,  who  cries  to  his  friend, 
"  Haud  me,  haud  me,  or  I'll  fecht ! "  The 
war-god  is  implored  to  moderate  the  martial 
eagerness  of  the  poet.  The  original  collector 
here  showed  lack  of  discrimination.  At  no 
time,  however,  was  Ares  a  popular  God  in 
Greece ;  in  Homer  he  is  a  braggart  and 
coward. 


THE    HYMN   TO   DEMETER 

'  I  ""HE  beautiful  Hymn  to  Demeter,  an  ex- 
*  ample  of  Greek  religious  faith  in  its  most 
pensive  and  most  romantic  aspects,  was  found 
in  the  last  century  (1780),  in  Moscow.  Inter 
pullos  et  porcos  latitabat :  the  song  of  the  rural 
deity  had  found  its  way  into  the  haunts  of  the 
humble  creatures  whom  she  protected.  A 
discovery  even  more  fortunate,  in  1857,  led 
Sir  Charles  Newton  to  a  little  sacellum,  or 
family  chapel,  near  Cnidos.  On  a  platform 
of  rock,  beneath  a  cliff,  and  looking  to  the 
Mediterranean,  were  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
shrine  :  the  votive  offerings  ;  the  lamps  long 
without  oil  or  flame  ;  the  Curses,  or  Dirae, 
inscribed  on  thin  sheets  of  lead,  and  directed 
against  thieves  or  rivals.  The  head  of  the 
statue,  itself  already  known,  was  also  dis- 
covered. Votive  offerings,  cheap  curses, 


54  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

objects  of  folk-lore  rite  and  of  sympathetic 
magic, — these  are  connected  with  the  popu- 
lar, the  peasant  aspect  of  the  religion  of 
Demeter.  She  it  is  to  whom  pigs  are  sacri- 
ficed :  who  makes  the  fields  fertile  with 
scattered  fragments  of  their  flesh  ;  and  her 
rustic  effigy,  at  Theocritus's  feast  of  the 
harvest  home,  stands  smiling,  with  corn  and 
poppies  in  her  hands. 

But  the  Cnidian  shrine  had  once  another 
treasure,  the  beautiful  melancholy  statue  of 
the  seated  Demeter  of  the  uplifted  eyes  ;  the 
mourning  mother  :  the  weary  seeker  for  the 
lost  maiden :  her  child  Persephone.  Far 
from  the  ruins  above  the  sea,  beneath  the 
scorched  seaward  wall  of  rock :  far  from  the 
aromatic  fragrance  of  the  rock  -  nourished 
flowers,  from  the  bees,  and  the  playful 
lizards,  Demeter  now  occupies  her  place  in 
the  great  halls  of  the  British  Museum. 
Like  the  Hymn,  this  melancholy  and  tender 
work  of  art  is  imperfect,  but  the  sentiment  is 
thereby  rather  increased  than  impaired.  The 
ancients  buried  things  broken  with  the  dead, 


Pellissier  &  AHe 

MOURNING    DEMETER. 
Marble    statue  from  Knidos.     In  the  British  Museum  . 


MOTHER  AND  MAID  55 

that  the  shadows  of  tool,  or  weapon,  or  vase 
might  be  set  free,  to  serve  the  shadows  of 
their  masters  in  the  land  of  the  souls.  Broken 
as  they,  too,  are,  the  Hymn  and  the  statue 
are  "  free  among  the  dead,"  and  eloquent  of 
the  higher  religion  that,  in  Greece,  attached 
itself  to  the  lost  Maiden  and  the  sorrowing 
Mother.  Demeter,  in  religion,  was  more 
than  a  fertiliser  of  the  fields :  Kore,  the 
Maiden,  was  more  than  the  buried  pig,  or 
the  seed  sown  to  await  its  resurrection  ;  or 
the  harvest  idol,  fashioned  of  corn-stalks : 
more  even  than  a  symbol  of  the  winter  sleep 
and  vernal  awakening  of  the  year  and  the 
life  of  nature.  She  became  the  "  dread  Per- 
sephone "  of  the  Odyssey, 

"A  Queen  over  death  and  the  dead." 

In  her  winter  retreat  below  the  earth  she  was 
the  bride  of  the  Lord  of  Many  Guests,  and 
the  ruler  "  of  the  souls  of  men  outworn."  In 
this  office  Odysseus  in  Homer  knows  her, 
though  neither  Iliad  nor  Odyssey  recognises 
Kore  as  the  maiden  Spring,  the  daughter  and 


56  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

companion  of  Demeter  as  Goddess  of  Grain. 
Christianity,  even,  did  not  quite  dethrone  Per- 
sephone. She  lives  in  two  forms :  first,  as 
the  harvest  effigy  made  of  corn-stalks  bound 
together,  the  last  gleanings  ;  secondly,  as 
"the  Fairy  Queen  Proserpina,"  who  carried 


SILVER  DENARIUS   OF  C.   VIBIUS   PANSA  (ABOUT  90   B.C.) 
Obv.  Head  of  Apollo. 
Rev.  Demeter  searching  for  Persephone. 


Thomas  the  Rhymer  from  beneath  the  Eildon 
Tree  to  that  land  which  lies  beyond  the 
stream  of  slain  men's  blood. 

"  For  a'  the  bluid  that's  shed  on  earth 
Flows  through  the  streams  of  that  countrie." 

Thus  tenacious  of  life  has  been  the  myth  of 


BEAUTIFUL  AND  BIZARRE  57 

Mother  and  Maiden,  a  natural  flower  of  the 
human  heart,  found,  unborrowed,  by  the 
Spaniards  in  the  maize-fields  of  Peru.  Clearly 
the  myth  is  a  thing  composed  of  many  ele- 
ments, glad  and  sad  as  the  waving  fields  of 
yellow  grain,  or  as  the  Chthonian  darkness 
under  earth  where  the  seed  awaits  new  life 
in  the  new  year.  The  creed  is  practical  as 
the  folk-lore  of  sympathetic  magic,  which  half 
expects  to  bring  good  harvest  luck  by  various 
mummeries  ;  and  the  creed  is  mystical  as  the 
hidden  things  and  words  unknown  which 
assured  Pindar  and  Sophocles  of  secure  feli- 
city in  this  and  in  the  future  life. 

The  creed  is  beautiful  as  the  exquisite  pro- 
file of  the  corn-tressed  head  of  Persephone 
on  Syracusan  coins  :  and  it  is  grotesque  as 
the  custom  which  bade  the  pilgrims  to 
Eleusis  bathe  in  the  sea,  each  with  the  pig 
which  he  was  about  to  sacrifice.  The  highest 
religious  hopes,  the  meanest  magical  mum- 
meries are  blended  in  this  religion.  That 
one  element  is  earlier  than  the  other  we 
cannot  say  with  much  certainty.  The  ritual 


58  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

aspect,  as  concerned  with  the  happy  future 
of  the  soul,  does  not  appear  in  Iliad  or 
Odyssey,  where  the  Mysteries  are  not  named. 
But  the  silence  of  Homer  is  never  a  safe 
argument  in  favour  of  his  ignorance,  any 
more  than  the  absence  of  allusion  to  tobacco 
in  Shakspeare  is  a  proof  that  tobacco  was,  in 
his  age,  unknown. 

We  shall  find  that  a  barbaric  people,  the 
Pawnees,  hold  a  mystery  precisely  parallel 
to  the  Demeter  legend  :  a  Mystery  necessarily 
unborrowed  from  Greece.  The  Greeks, 
therefore,  may  have  evolved  the  legend  long 
before  Homer's  day,  and  he  may  have  known 
the  story  which  he  does  not  find  occasion  to 
tell.  As  to  what  was  said,  shown,  and  done 
in  the  Eleusinia,  we  only  gather  that  there 
was  a  kind  of  Mystery  Play  on  the  sacred 
legend  ;  that  there  were  fastings,  vigils,  sacri- 
fices, secret  objects  displayed,  sacred  words 
uttered  ;  and  that  thence  such  men  as  Pindar 
and  Sophocles  received  the  impression  that 
for  them,  in  this  and  the  future  life,  all  was 
well,  was  well  for  those  of  pure  hearts  and 


THE  SECRET  59 


hands.  The  "  purity  "  may  partly  have  been 
ritual,  but  was  certainly  understood,  also,  as 
relating  to  excellence  of  life.  Than  such  a 
faith  (for  faith  it  is)  religion  has  nothing 
better  to  give.  But  the  extreme  diligence 
of  scholars  and  archaeologists  can  tell  us 
nothing  more  definite.  The  impressions  on 
the  souls  of  the  initiated  may  have  been 
caused  merely  by  that  dim  or  splendid  re- 
ligious light  of  the  vigils,  and  by  association 
with  sacred  things  usually  kept  in  solemn 
sanctuaries.  Again,  mere  buffoonery  (as  is 
common  in  savage  Mysteries)  brought  the 
pilgrims  back  to  common  life  when  they 
crossed  the  bridge  on  their  return  to  Athens  ; 
just  as  the  buffooneries  of  Baubo  brought  a 
smile  to  the  sad  lips  of  Demeter.  Beyond 
this  all  is  conjecture,  and  the  secret  may  have 
been  so  well  kept  just  because,  in  fact,  there 
was  no  secret  to  keep.1 

1  The  most  minute  study  of  Lobeck's  Aglaophamus  can  tell 
us  no  more  than  this  ;  the  curious  may  consult  a  useful  short 
manual,  Eleztsis,  Ses  Mysteres,  Ses  Jfuines,  et  son  Musee,  by 
M.  Demetrios  Philios.  Athens,  1896.  M.  Philios  is  the  Director 
of  the  Eleusinian  Excavations. 


60  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

Till  the  end  of  the  present  century,  myth- 
ologists  did  not  usually  employ  the  method 
of  comparing  Greek  rites  and  legends  with, 
first,  the  sympathetic  magic  and  the  fables  of 
peasant  folk-lore  ;  second,  with  the  Mysteries 
and  myths  of  contemporary  savage  races,  of 
which  European  folk-lore  is  mainly  a  sur- 
vival. For  a  study  of  Demeter  from  these 
sides  (a  study  still  too  much  neglected  in 
Germany)  readers  may  consult  Mannhardt's 
works,  Mr.  Frazer's  "Golden  Bough,"  and 
the  present  translator's  "  Custom  and  Myth," 
and  "  Myth,  Ritual,  and  Religion."  Mr. 
Frazer,  especially,  has  enabled  the  English 
reader  to  understand  the  savage  and  rural 
element  of  sympathetic  magic  as  a  factor  in 
the  Demeter  myth.  Meanwhile  Mr.  Pater 
has  dealt  with  the  higher  sentiment,  the  more 
religious  aspect,  of  the  myth  and  the  rites. 
I  am  not  inclined  to  go  all  lengths  with 
Mr.  Frazer's  ingenious  and  learned  system,  as 
will  be  seen,  while  regretting  that  the  new 
edition  of  his  "  Golden  Bough "  is  not  yet 
accessible. 


MR.  FRAZER  61 


If  we  accept  (which  I  do  not  entirely)  Mr. 
Frazer's  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Demeter 
myth,  there  is  no  finer  example  of  the  Greek 
power  of  transforming  into  beauty  the  super- 
stitions of  Barbarism.  The  explanation  to 
which  I  refer  is  contained  in  Mr.  J.  G.  Frazer's 
learned  and  ingenious  work,  "The  Golden 
Bough."  While  mythologists  of  the  schools 
of  Mr.  Max  Muller  and  Kuhn  have  usually 
resolved  most  Gods  and  heroes  into  Sun, 
Sky,  Dawn,  Twilight  ;  or,  again,  into  ele- 
mental powers  of  Thunder,  Tempest,  Light- 
ning, and  Night,  Mr.  Frazer  is  apt  to  see  in 
them  the  Spirit  of  Vegetation.  Osiris  is  a 
Tree  Spirit  or  a  Corn  Spirit  (Mannhardt,  the 
founder  of  the  system,  however,  took  Osiris 
to  be  the  Sun).  Balder  is  the  Spirit  of  the 
Oak.  The  oak,  "  we  may  certainly  conclude, 
was  one  of  the  chief,  if  not  the  very  chief 
divinity  of  the  Aryans  before  the  dispersion."1 
If  so,  the  Aryans  before  the  dispersion  were 
on  an  infinitely  lower  religious  level  than 
those  Australian  tribes,  whose  chief  divinity 

1  "Golden  Bough,"  ii.  292. 


62  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

is  not  a  gum-tree,  but  a  being  named  "  Our 
Father,"  dwelling  beyond  the  visible  heavens. 
When  we  remember  the  vast  numbers  of  gods 
of  sky  or  heaven  among  many  scattered  races, 
and  the  obvious  connection  of  Zeus  with  the 
sky  (sub  Jove  frigido),  and  the  usually  assigned 
sense  of  the  name  of  Zeus,  it  is  not  easy  to 
suppose  that  he  was  originally  an  oak.  But 
Mr.  Frazer  considers  the  etymological  con- 
nection of  Zeus  with  the  Sanscrit  word  for 
sky,  an  insufficient  reason  for  regarding  Zeus 
as,  in  origin,  a  sky-god.  He  prefers,  it  seems, 
to  believe  that,  as  being  the  wood  out  of 
which  fire  was  kindled  by  some  Aryan-speak- 
ing peoples,  the  oak  may  have  come  to  be 
called  "The  Bright  or  Shining  One"  (Zeus, 
Jove),  by  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Italians.1 
The  Greeks,  in  fact,  used  the  laurel  (daphne) 
for  making  fire,  not,  as  far  as  I  am  aware, 
the  oak.  Though  the  oak  was  the  tree  of 
Zeus,  the  heavens  were  certainly  his  province, 
and,  despite  the  oak  of  Dodona,  and  the  oak 
on  the  Capitol,  he  is  much  more  generally 

1  "  Golden  Bough,"  ii.  369. 


THE  PIG  63 

connected  with  the  sky  than  with  the  tree. 
In  fact  this  reduction  of  Zeus,  in  origin,  to 
an  oak,  rather  suggests  that  the  spirit  of 
system  is  too  powerful  with  Mr.  Frazer. 

He  makes,  perhaps,  a  more  plausible  case 
for  his  reduction  of  dread  Persephone  to  a 
Pig.  The  process  is  curious.  Early  agricul- 
tural man  believed  in  a  Corn  Spirit,  a  spiritual 
essence  animating  the  grain  (in  itself  no  very 
unworthy  conception).  But  because,  as  the 
field  is  mown,  animals  in  the  corn  are  driven 
into  the  last  unshorn  nook,  and  then  into  the 
open,  the  beast  which  rushed  out  of  the  last 
patch  was  identified  with  the  Corn  Spirit  in 
some  animal  shape,  perhaps  that  of  a  pig  ; 
many  other  animals  occur.  The  pig  has  a 
great  part  in  the  ritual  of  Demeter.  Pigs  of 
pottery  were  found  by  Sir  Charles  Newton 
on  her  sacred  ground.  The  initiate  in  the 
Mysteries  brought  pigs  to  Eleusis,  and  bathed 
with  them  in  the  sea.  The  pig  was  sacrificed 
to  her  ;  in  fact  (though  not  in  our  Hymn) 
she  was  closely  associated  with  pigs.  "  We 
may  now  ask  .  .  .  may  not  the  pig  be  nothing 


64  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

but  the  Goddess  herself  in  animal  form  ? "  l 
She  would  later  become  anthropomorphic  :  a 
lovely  Goddess,  whose  hair,  as  in  the  Hymn, 
is  "  yellow  as  ripe  corn."  But  the  prior  pig 
could  not  be  shaken  off.  At  the  Attic  Thes- 
mophoria  the  women  celebrated  the  Descent 
and  Ascent  of  Persephone, — a  "  double  "  of 
Demeter.  In  this  rite  pigs  and  other  things 
were  thrown  into  certain  caverns.  Later, 
the  cold  remains  of  pig  were  recovered  and 
placed  on  the  altar.  Fragments  were  scattered 
for  luck  on  the  fields  with  the  seed-corn.  A 
myth  explained  that  a  flock  of  pigs  were 
swallowed  by  Earth  when  Persephone  was 
ravished  by  Hades  to  the  lower  world,  of 
which  matter  the  Hymn  says  nothing.  "  In 
short,  the  pigs  were  Proserpine."2  The  eating 
of  pigs  at  the  Thesmophoria  was  "  a  par- 
taking of  the  body  of  the  God,"  though  the 
partakers,  one  thinks,  must  have  been  totally 
unconscious  of  the  circumstance.  We  must 
presume  that  (if  this  theory  be  correct)  a 
very  considerable  time  was  needed  for  the 

1  "Golden  Bough,"  ii.  44.  2  Ibid.,  46. 


PROSERPINE  NO  PIG  65 

evolution  of  a  pig  into  the  Demeter  of  the 
Hymn,  and  the  change  is  quite  successfully 
complete  ;  a  testimony  to  the  transfiguring 
power  of  the  Greek  genius. 

We  may  be  inclined  to  doubt,  however, 
whether  the  task  before  the  genius  of  Greece, 
the  task  of  making  Proserpine  out  of  a 
porker,  was  really  so  colossal.  The  primitive 
mind  is  notoriously  capable  of  entertaining, 
simultaneously,  the  most  contradictory  notions. 
Thus,  in  the  Australian  "  Legend  of  Eerin," 
the  mourners  implore  Byamee  to  accept  the 
soul  of  the  faithful  Eerin  into  his  Paradise, 
Bullimah.  No  doubt  Byamee  heard,  yet 
Eerin  is  now  a  little  owl  of  plaintive  voice, 
which  utters  warning  cries  in  time  of  peril.1 
No  incongruity  of  this  kind  is  felt  to  be  a 
difficulty  by  the  childlike  narrators.  Now  I 
conceive  that,  starting  with  the  relatively  high 
idea  of  a  Spirit  of  the  Grain,  early  man  was 
quite  capable  of  envisaging  it  both  spiritu- 
ally and  in  zoomorphic  form  (accidentally 

1  Mrs.   Langloh   Parker,    "  More   Australian  Legends,"   pp. 

93-99- 

E 


66  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

conditioned  here  into  horse,  there  into  goat, 
pig,  or  what  not).  But  these  views  of  his 
need  not  exclude  his  simultaneous  belief  in 
the  Corn  Spirit  as  a  being  anthropomorphic, 
"  Mother  Earth,"  or  "  Mother  Grain,"  as 
we  follow  the  common  etymology  ;  or  that 
of  Mannhardt  (£««  (dcea)  unrrjp  = ll  barley- 
mother  ").  If  I  am  right,  poetry  and  the 
higher  religion  moved  from  the  first  on  the 
line  of  the  anthropomorphic  Lady  of  the 
Harvest  and  the  Corn,  Mother  Barley  :  while 
the  popular  folk-lore  of  the  Corn  Spirit 
(which  found  utterance  in  the  mirth  of 
harvesting,  and  in  the  magic  ritual  for  en- 
suring fertility),  followed  on  the  line  of  the 
pig.  At  some  seasons,  and  in  some  cere- 
monies, the  pig  represented  the  genius  of 
the  corn  :  in  general,  the  Lady  of  the  Corn 
was — Demeter.  We  really  need  not  believe 
that  the  two  forms  of  the  genius  of  the 
corn  were  ever  consciously  identified.  Demeter 
never  was  a  Pig  !  * 

1  The  anthropomorphic  view  of  the  Genius  of  the  grain  as  a 
woman  existed  in  Peru,  as  I  have  remarked  in  "  Myth,  Ritual, 


THE  PIG  QUESTION  67 

"  The  Peruvians,  we  are  told,  believed  all 
useful  plants  to  be  animated  by  a  divine 
being  who  causes  their  growth,"  says  Mr. 
Frazer.1  The  genealogical  table,  then,  in 
my  opinion,  is  : — 

Divine  Being  of  the  Grain. 


I  I 

(A  nthropomorphised ).  ( Zoomorphtsed ). 

Mother  of  Corn.  Pig,  Horse, 

Demeter.  and  so  on. 

Thus  the  Greek  genius  had  other  and 
better  materials  to  work  on,  in  evolving 
Demeter,  than  the  rather  lowly  animal  which 
is  associated  with  her  rites.  If  any  one 
objects  that  animal  gods  always  precede 
anthropomorphic  gods  in  evolution,  we  reply 
that,  in  the  most  archaic  of  known  races, 
the  deities  are  represented  in  human  guise 
at  the  Mysteries,  though  there  are  animal 
Totems,  and  though,  in  myth,  the  deity 

and  Religion,"  i.  213.  See,  too,  "Golden  Bough,"  i.  p.  351 ; 
Mr.  Frazer  also  notes  the  Corn  Mother  of  Germany,  and  the 
Harvest  Maiden  of  Balquhidder. 

1  "Golden  Bough,"  p.  351,  citing  from  Mannhardt  a  Spanish 
tract  of  1649. 


68  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

may,  and  often  does,  assume  shapes  of  bird 
or  beast.1 

Among  rites  of  the  backward  races,  none, 
perhaps,  so  closely  resembles  the  Eleusinian 
Mysteries  as  the  tradition  of  the  Pawnees. 
In  Attica,  Hades,  Lord  of  the  Dead,  ravishes 
away  Persephone,  the  vernal  daughter  of 
Demeter.  Demeter  then  wanders  among 
men,  and  is  hospitably  received  by  Celeus, 
King  of  Eleusis.  Baffled  in  her  endeavour 
to  make  his  son  immortal,  she  demands  a 
temple,  where  she  sits  in  wrath,  blighting 
the  grain.  She  is  reconciled  by  the  resto- 
ration of  her  daughter,  at  the  command  of 
Zeus.  But  for  a  third  of  the  year  Perse- 
phone, having  tasted  a  pomegranate  seed  in 
Hades,  has  to  reign  as  Queen  of  the  Dead, 
beneath  the  earth.  Scenes  from  this  tale 
were,  no  doubt,  enacted  at  the  Mysteries, 
with  interludes  of  buffoonery,  such  as  re- 
lieved most  ancient  and  all  savage  Mysteries. 
The  allegory  of  the  year's  death  and  re- 
newal probably  afforded  a  text  for  some 

1  Howitt,   on    Mysteries   of   the   Coast    Murring    (Journal 
Anthrop.  fnstit.,  vol.  xiv.). 


PAWNEE  MYSTERIES  69 

discourse,  or   spectacle,  concerned   with   the 
future  life. 

Among  the  Pawnees,  not  a  mother  and 
daughter,  but  two  primal  beings,  brothers, 
named  Manabozho  and  Chibiabos,  are  the 
chief  characters.  The  Manitos  (spirits  or 
gods)  drown  Chibiabos.  Manabozho  mourns 
and  smears  his  face  with  black,  as  Demeter 
wears  black  raiment.  He  laments  Chibiabos 
ceaselessly  till  the  Manitos  propitiate  him 
with  gifts  and  ceremonies.  They  offer  to  him 
a  cup,  like  the  beverage  prepared  for  Demeter, 
in  the  Hymn,  by  lambe.  He  drinks  it,  is 
glad,  washes  off  the  black  stain  of  mourning, 
and  is  himself  again,  while  Earth  again  is 
joyous.  The  Manitos  restore  Chibiabos  to 
life  ;  but,  having  once  died,  he  may  not  enter 
the  temple,  or  "  Medicine  Lodge."  He  is 
sent  to  reign  over  the  souls  of  the  departed 
as  does  Persephone.  Manabozho  makes 
offerings  to  Mesukkumikokwi,  the  "  Earth 
Mother"  of  the  Pawnees.  The  story  is  en- 
acted in  the  sacred  dances  of  the  Pawnees.1 

1  De  Smet,  "  Oregon  Mission,"  p.  359.   Tanner's  "  Narrative  " 
(1830),  pp.  192-193. 


70  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

The  Pawnee  ideas  have  fallen,  with  sin- 
gularly accurate  coincidence,  into  the  same 
lines  as  those  of  early  Greece.  Some 
moderns,  such  as  M.  Foucart,  have  revived 
the  opinion  of  Herodotus,  that  the  Mysteries 
were  brought  from  Greece  to  Egypt.  But, 
as  the  Pawnee  example  shows,  similar  natu- 
ral phenomena  may  anywhere  beget  similar 
myths  and  rites.  In  Greece  the  donnee  was 
a  nature  myth,  and  a  ritual  in  which  it  was 
enacted.  That  ritual  was  a  form  of  sympa- 
thetic magic,  and  the  myth  explained  the 
performances.  The  refinement  and  charm 
of  the  legend  (on  which  Homer,  as  we  saw, 
does  not  touch)  is  due  to  the  unique  genius 
of  Greece.  Demeter  became  the  deity  most 
familiar  to  the  people,  nearest  to  their  hearts 
and  endowed  with  most  temples  ;  every  farm 
possessing  her  rural  shrine.  But  the  Chtho- 
nian,  or  funereal,  aspect  of  Chibiabos,  or  of 
Persephone,  is  due  to  a  mood  very  distinct 
from  that  which  sacrifices  pigs  as  embodi- 
ments of  the  Corn  Spirit,  if  that  be  the  real 
origin  of  the  practice. 


THE  GREEK  REFINEMENT  71 

We  should  much  misconceive  the  religious 
spirit  of  the  Greek  rite  if  we  undertook  to 
develop  it  all  out  an  origin  in  sympathetic 
magic  :  which,  of  course,  I  do  not  understand 
Mr.  Frazer  to  do.  Greek  scholars,  again, 
are  apt  to  view  these  researches  into  savage 
or  barbaric  origins  with  great  distaste  and 
disfavour.  This  is  not  a  scientific  frame  of 
mind.  In  the  absence  of  such  researches 
other  purely  fanciful  origins  have  been  in- 
vented by  scholars,  ancient  or  modern.  It 
is  necessary  to  return  to  the  pedestrian  facts, 
if  merely  in  order  to  demonstrate  the  futility 
of  the  fancies.  The  result  is  in  no  way 
discreditable  to  Greece.  Beginning,  like  other 
peoples,  with  the  vague  unrealised  conception 
of  the  Corn  Mother  (an  idea  which  could 
not  occur  before  the  agricultural  stage  of 
civilisation),  the  Greeks  refined  and  elevated 
the  idea  into  the  Demeter  of  the  Hymn,  and 
of  the  Cnidian  statue.  To  do  this  was  the 
result  of  their  unique  gifts  as  a  race.  Mean- 
while the  other  notion  of  a  Ruler  of  Souls, 
in  Greece  attached  to  Persephone,  is  found 


72  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

among  peoples  not  yet  agricultural :  nomads 
living  on  grubs,  roots,  seeds  of  wild  grasses, 
and  the  products  of  the  chase.  Almost  all 
men's  ideas  are  as  old  as  mankind,  so  far 
as  we  know  mankind. 

Conceptions  originally  "  half-conscious," 
and  purely  popular,  as  of  a  Spirit  of  Vege- 
tation, incarnate,  as  it  were,  in  each  year's 
growth,  were  next  handled  by  conscious 
poets,  like  the  author  of  our  Hymn,  and 
then  are  "  realised  as  abstract  symbols,  be- 
cause intensely  characteristic  examples  of 
moral,  or  spiritual  conditions."  l  Thus  Deme- 
ter  and  Persephone,  no  longer  pigs  or  Grain- 
Mothers,  "lend  themselves  to  the  elevation 
and  the  correction  of  the  sentiments  of 
sorrow  and  awe,  by  the  presentment  to  the 
senses  and  imagination  of  an  ideal  expres- 
sion of  them.  Demeter  cannot  but  seem  the 
type  of  divine  grief.  Persephone  is  the 
Goddess  of  Death,  yet  with  a  promise  of 
life  to  come." 

That    the    Eleusinia    included    an    ethical 

1  Pater,  "Greek  Studies,"  p.  90. 


MORALS  IN  MYSTERIES  73 

element  seems  undeniable.  This  one  would 
think  probable,  a  priori,  on  the  ground  that 
Greek  Mysteries  are  an  embellished  survival 
of  the  initiatory  rites  of  savages,  which  do 
contain  elements  of  morality.  This  I  have 
argued  at  some  length  in  "  Myth,  Ritual, 
and  Religion."  Many  strange  customs  in 
some  Greek  Mysteries,  such  as  the  daubing 
of  the  initiate  with  clay,  the  use  of  the  po/n{3os 
(the  Australian  Tunctun,  a  small  piece  of  wood 
whirled  noisily  by  a  string),  the  general 
suggestion  of  a  new  life,  the  flogging  of  boys 
at  Sparta,  their  retreat,  each  with  his  in- 
structor (Australian  kabbo,  Greek  €i<nri>t]\o9) 
to  the  forests,  are  precisely  analogous  to 
things  found  in  Australia,  America,  and 
Africa.  Now  savage  rites  are  often  associ- 
ated with  what  we  think  gross  cruelty, 
and,  as  in  Fiji,  with  abandoned  license,  of 
which  the  Fathers  also  accuse  the  Greeks. 
But,  among  the  Yao  of  Central  Africa, 
the  initiator,  observes  Mr.  Macdonald,  "  is 
said  to  give  much  good  advice.  His 
lectures  condemn  selfishness,  and  a  selfish 


74  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

person    is    called    mwisichana,    that    is,    '  un- 
initiated.' "  l 

Among  the  Australians,  Dampier,  in  1688, 
observed  the  singular  unselfish  generosity  of 
distribution  of  food  to  the  old,  the  weak, 
and  the  sick.  According  to  Mr.  Howitt,  the 
boys  of  the  Coast  Murring  tribe  are  taught 
in  the  Mysteries  "to  speak  the  straight- 
forward truth  while  being  initiated,  and  are 
warned  to  avoid  various  offences  against 
propriety  and  morality."  The  method  of 
instruction  is  bad,  a  pantomimic  representa- 
tion of  the  sin  to  be  avoided,  but  the  inten- 
tion is  excellent.2  Among  the  Kurnai  respect 
for  the  old,  for  unprotected  women,  the  duty 
of  unselfishness,  and  other  ethical  ideas  are 
inculcated,3  while  certain  food  taboos  prevail 
during  the  rite,  as  was  also  the  case  in  the 
Eleusinia.  That  this  moral  idea  of  "  sharing 
what  they  have  with  their  friends "  is  not 
confined  merely  to  the  tribe,  is  proved  by 
the  experience  of  John  Finnegan,  a  white 

1  "  Africana,"  i.  130. 

2  Journal  Anthrop.  Instit.  (1884),  xiiL  pp.  444,  450. 

3  Op.  cit.,  xiv.  pp.  310,  316. 


MORALITY  NOT  "  TRIBAL  "  75 

man  lost  near  Moreton  Bay  early  in  this 
century.  "At  all  times,  whether  they  had 
much  or  little,  fish  or  kangaroo,  they  always 
gave  me  as  much  as  I  could  eat."  Even 
when  the  whites  stole  the  fish  of  the  natives, 
and  were  detected,  "  instead  of  attempting 
to  repossess  themselves  of  the  fish,  they 
instantly  set  at  work  to  procure  more  for 
us,  and  one  or  two  fetched  us  as  much 
dingowa  as  they  could  carry." l  The  first 
English  settlers  in  Virginia,  on  the  other 
hand,  when  some  native  stole  a  cup,  burned 
down  the  whole  town. 

Thus  the  morality  of  the  savage  is  not 
merely  tribal  (as  is  often  alleged),  and  is 
carried  into  practice,  as  well  as  inculcated, 
in  some  regions,  not  in  all,  during  the 
Mysteries. 

For  these  reasons,  if  the  Greek  Mysteries 
be  survivals  of  savage  ceremonies  (as  there 
is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  they  are), 
the  savage  association  of  moral  instruction 
with  mummeries  might  survive  as  easily  as 

1  "  New  South  Wales,"  by  Barren  Field,  pp.  69,  122  (1825). 


76  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

anything  else.  That  it  did  survive  is  plain 
from  numerous  passages  in  classical  authors.1 
The  initiate  "  live  a  pious  life  in  regard  to 
strangers  and  citizens."  They  are  to  be 
"  conscious  of  no  evil  "  :  they  are  to  "  pro- 
tect such  as  have  wrought  no  unrighteous- 
ness." Such  precepts  "have  their  root  in 
the  ethico-religious  consciousness."  '  It  is 
not  mere  ritual  purity  that  the  Mysteries 
demand,  either  among  naked  Australians,  or 
Yao,  or  in  Greece.  Lobeck  did  his  best  to 
minimise  the  testimony  to  the  higher  element 
in  the  Eleusinia,  but  without  avail.  The 
study  of  early,  barbaric,  savage,  classical, 
Egyptian,  or  Indian  religions  should  not  be 
one-sided.  Men  have  always  been  men,  for 
good  as  well  as  for  evil  ;  and  religion,  almost 
everywhere,  is  allied  with  ethics  no  less  than 
it  is  overrun  by  the  parasite  of  myth,  and  the 
survival  of  magic  in  ritual.  The  Mother  and 
the  Maid  were  tf  Saviours  "  (Ko/oi/ 


1  Aristophanes,  Ratio:,  445  et  seq.  ;  Origen,  c.  Cell.,  Hi.  59  ; 
Andocides,  Jlfyst.,  31  ;  Euripides,  Bacch.,  72  e?  *etf-  See 
Wobbermin,  Religiotisgeschitliche  Sliidien,  pp.  36-44. 

-  Wobbermin,  of.  «'/.,  p.  38. 


ETHICS  IN  RELIGION  77 

"  holy "  and  "  pure,"  despite  contradictory 
legends.1  The  tales  of  incest,  as  between 
Zeus  and  Persephone,  are  the  result  of  the 
genealogical  mania.  The  Gods  were  grouped 
in  family-relationships,  to  account  for  their 
companionship  in  ritual,  and  each  birth 
postulated  an  amour.  None  the  less  the 
same  deities  offered  "  salvation,"  of  a  sort, 
and  were  patrons  of  conduct. 

Greek  religion  was  thus  not  destitute  of 
certain  chief  elements  in  our  own.  But 
these  were  held  in  solution,  with  a  host  of 
other  warring  elements,  lustful,  cruel,  or 
buffooning.  These  elements  Greece  was 
powerless  to  shake  off ;  philosophers,  by 
various  expedients,  might  explain  away  the 
contradictory  myths  which  overgrew  the 
religion,  but  ritual,  the  luck  of  the  State,  and 
popular  credulity,  were  tenacious  of  the  whole 
strange  mingling  of  beliefs  and  practices. 
*  # 
* 

The  view  taken   of   the    Eleusinia   in   this 

1  Wobbermin,  op.  fit.,  p.  34. 


78  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

note  is  hardly  so  exalted  as  that  of  Dr. 
Hatch.  "The  main  underlying  conception 
of  initiation  was  that  there  were  elements 
in  human  life  from  which  the  candidate 
must  purify  himself  before  he  could  be  fit 
to  approach  God."  The  need  of  purifica- 
tion, ritual  and  moral,  is  certain,  but  one 
is  not  aware  of  anything  in  the  purely 
popular  or  priestly  religion  of  Greece 
which  exactly  answers  to  our  word  "  God " 
as  used  in  the  passage  cited.  Individuals, 
by  dint  of  piety  or  of  speculation,  might 
approach  the  conception,  and  probably 
many  did,  both  in  and  out  of  the  philo- 
sophic schools.  But  traditional  ritual  and 
myth  could  scarcely  rise  to  this  ideal  ;  and 
it  seems  exaggerated  to  say  of  the  crowded 
Eleusinian  throng  of  pilgrims  that  "  the  race 
of  mankind  was  lifted  on  to  a  higher  plane 
when  it  came  to  be  taught  that  only  the 
pure  in  heart  can  see  God." x  The  black 
native  boys  in  Australia  pass  through  a 

1  Hatch,  "  Hibbert  Lectures,"  pp.  284,  285. 


DR.  HATCH'S  VIEW  79 

purgative  ceremony  to  cure  them  of  selfish- 
ness, and  afterwards  the  initiator  points  to 
the  blue  vault  of  sky,  bidding  them  behold 
"  Our  Father,  Mungan-ngaur."  This  is  very 
well  meant,  and  very  creditable  to  untutored 
savages:  and  creditable  ideas  were  not  absent 
from  the  Eleusinia.  But  when  we  use  the 
quotation,  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 
for  they  shall  see  God,"  our  meaning,  though 
not  very  definite,  is  a  meaning  which  it  would 
be  hazardous  to  attribute  to  a  black  boy, — 
or  to  Sophocles.  The  idea  of  the  New  Life 
appears  to  occur  in  Australian  Mysteries  :  a 
tribesman  is  buried,  and  rises  at  a  given 
signal.  But  here  the  New  Life  is  rather 
that  of  the  lad  admitted  to  full  tribal  privi- 
leges (including  moral  precepts)  than  that 
of  a  converted  character.  Confirmation, 
rather  than  conversion,  is  the  analogy. 
The  number  of  those  analogies  of  ancient 
and  savage  with  Christian  religion  is  re- 
markable. But  even  in  Greek  Mysteries 
the  conceptions  are  necessarily  not  so 


8o  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

purely  spiritual  as  in  the  Christian  creed, 
of  which  they  seem  half-conscious  and 
fragmentary  anticipations.  Or  we  may  re- 
gard them  as  suggestions,  which  Christianity 
selected,  accepted,  and  purified. 


HYMN   TO   DEMETER 

THE  ALLEGED  EGYPTIAN  ORIGINS 

I N  what  has  been  said  as  to  the  Greek 
*  Mysteries,  I  have  regarded  them  as  of 
native  origin.  I  have  exhibited  rites  of  ana- 
logous kinds  in  the  germ,  as  it  were,  among 
savage  and  barbaric  communities.  In  Peru, 
under  the  Incas,  we  actually  find  Mama  and 
Cora  (Demeter  and  Kore)  as  Goddesses  of  the 
maize  (Acosta),  and  for  rites  of  sympathetic 
magic  connected  with  the  production  of 
fertile  harvests  (as  in  the  Thesmophoria  at 
Athens)  it  is  enough  to  refer  to  the  vast  col- 
lection in  Mr.  Frazer's  "Golden  Bough."  I 
have  also  indicated  the  closest  of  all  known 
parallels  to  the  Eleusinian  in  a  medicine- 
dance  and  legend  of  the  Pawnees.  For 
other  savage  Mysteries  in  which  a  moral 

81  r- 


82  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

element  occurs,  I  have  quoted  Australian  and 
African  examples.  Thence  I  have  inferred 
that  the  early  Greeks  might,  and  probably 
did,  evolve  their  multiform  mystic  rites  out 
of  germs  of  such  things  inherited  from  their 
own  prehistoric  ancestors.  No  process,  on 
the  other  hand,  of  borrowing  from  Greece 
can  conceivably  account  for  the  Pawnee  and 
Peruvian  rites,  so  closely  analogous  to  those 
of  Hellas.  Therefore  I  see  no  reason  why, 
if  Egypt,  for  instance,  presents  parallels  to 
the  Eleusinia,  we  should  suppose  that  the 
prehistoric  Greeks  borrowed  the  Eleusinia 
from  Egypt.  These  things  can  grow  up, 
autochthonous  and  underived,  out  of  the 
soil  of  human  nature  anywhere,  granting 
certain  social  conditions.  Monsieur  Foucart, 
however,  has  lately  argued  in  favour  of  an 
Egyptian  origin  of  the  Eleusinia.1 

The  Greeks  naturally  identified  Demeter 
and  Dionysus  with  Isis  and  Osiris.  There 
were  analogies  in  the  figures  and  the  legends, 

1  Recherches  sur  fOrigine  ct  la  Nature  des  Mystcres  (fEleusis. 
Klinikseck.     Paris,  1895. 


M.  FOUCART  83 


and  that  was  enough.  So,  had  the  Greeks 
visited  America,  they  would  have  recognised 
Demeter  in  the  Pawnee  Earth  Mother,  and 
Persephone  or  Eubouleus  in  Chibiabos.  To 
account  for  the  similarities  they  would  pro- 
bably have  invented  a  fable  of  Pawnee  visitors 
to  Greece,  or  of  Greek  missionaries  among 
the  Pawnees.  So  they  were  apt  to  form  a 
theory  of  an  Egyptian  origin  of  Dionysus 
and  Demeter. 

M.  Foucart,  however,  argues  that  agri- 
culture, corn-growing  at  least,  came  into 
Greece  at  one  stride,  barley  and  wheat  not 
being  indigenous  in  a  wild  state.  The 
Greeks,  however,  may  have  brought  grain 
in  their  original  national  migration  (the  Greek 
words  for  grain  and  ploughing  are  common 
to  other  families  of  Aryan  speech)  or  obtained 
it  from  Phoenician  settlements.  Demeter, 
however,  in  M.  Foucart's  theory,  would  be 
the  Goddess  of  the  foreigners  who  carried 
the  grain  first  to  Hellas.  Now  both  the 
Homeric  epics  and  the  Egyptian  monuments 
show  us  Egypt  and  Greece  in  contact  in  the 


84  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

Greek  prehistoric  period.  But  it  does  not 
exactly  follow  that  the  prehistoric  Greeks 
would  adopt  Egyptian  gods  ;  or  that  the 
Thesmophoria,  an  Athenian  harvest-rite  of 
Demeter,  was  founded  by  colonists  from 
Egypt,  answering  to  the  daughters  of  Danaus.1 
Egyptians  certainly  did  not  introduce  the 
similar  rite  among  the  Khonds,  or  the  Incas. 
The  rites  could  grow  up  without  importation, 
as  the  result  of  the  similarities  of  primitive 
fancy  everywhere.  If  I  sis  is  Lady  of  the 
Grain  in  Egypt,  so  is  Mama  in  Peru,  and 
Demeter  need  no  more  have  been  imported 
from  Egypt  than  Mama.  If  Osiris  taught 
the  arts  of  life  and  the  laws  of  society  in 
Egypt,  so  did  Daramulun  in  Australia,  and 
Yehl  in  British  Columbia.  All  the  gods  and 
culture  heroes  everywhere  play  this  role — in 
regions  where  importation  of  the  idea  from 
Egypt  is  utterly  out  of  the  question.  Even 
in  minute  details,  legends  recur  everywhere  ; 
the  phallus  of  a  mutilated  Australian  being  of 
the  fabulous  "  Alcheringa  time,"  is  hunted  for 

1  Herodotus,  ii.  171. 


AUSTRALIA  AND  EGYPT  85 

by  his  wives  ;  exactly  as  Isis  wanders  in 
search  of  the  phallus  of  the  mutilated  Osiris.1 
Is  anything  in  the  Demeter  legend  so  like 
the  Isis  legend  as  this  Australian  coincidence? 
Yet  the  Arunta  did  not  borrow  it  from 
Egypt.2  The  mere  fact,  again,  that  there 
were  Mysteries  both  in  Egypt  and  Greece 
proves  nothing.  There  is  a  river  in  Mon- 
mouth,  and  a  river  in  Macedon  ;  there  are 
Mysteries  in  almost  all  religions. 

Again,  it  is  argued,  the  Gods  of  the 
Mysteries  in  Egypt  and  Greece  had  secret 
names,  only  revealed  to  the  initiated.  So, 
too,  in  Australia,  women  (never  initiated)  and 
boys  before  initiation,  know  Daramulun  only 
as  Papang  (Father).3  The  uninitiated  among 
the  Kurnai  do  not  know  the  sacred  name, 
Mungan-ngaur.4  The  Australian  did  not  bor- 
row this  secrecy  from  Egypt.  Everywhere  a 

T  Spencer  and  Gillen,  "  Natives  of  Central  Australia,"  p.  399. 
The  myth  is  not  very  quotable. 

2  Foucart,  p.  19,  quoting  Philosophoumena,  v.  7.    M.  Foucart, 
of  course,  did  not  know  the  Arunta  parallel. 

3  Journal  Ant hrop.  Inst.  (1884),  pp.  194,  195,  "Ngaregoand 
Wolgal  Tribes  of  New  South  Wales." 

4  Ibid.  (1885),  p.  313. 


86  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

mystery  is  kept  up  about  proper  names.  M. 
Foucart  seems  to  think  that  what  is  practically 
universal,  a  taboo  on  names,  can  only  have 
reached  Greece  by  transplantation  from 
Egypt.1  To  the  anthropologist  it  seems  that 
scholars,  in  ignoring  the  universal  ideas  of 
the  lower  races,  run  the  risk  of  venturing  on 
theories  at  once  superficial  and  untenable. 

M.  Foucart  has  another  argument,  which 
does  not  seem  more  convincing,  though  it 
probably  lights  up  the  humorous  or  indecent 
side  of  the  Eleusinia.  Isocrates  speaks  of 
"  good  offices  "  rendered  to  Demeter  by  "  our 
ancestors,"  which  "can  only  be  told  to  the 
initiate." '  Now  these  cannot  be  the  kindly 
deeds  reported  in  the  Hymn,  for  these  were 
publicly  proclaimed.  What,  then,  were  the 
secret  good  offices  ?  In  one  version  of  the 
legend  the  hosts  of  Demeter  were  not  Celeus 
and  Metaneira,  but  Dusaules  and  Baubo. 
The  part  of  Baubo  was  to  relieve  the  gloom  of 

1  For  ample  information  on  this  head  see  Mr.  Clodd's  "Tom- 
Tit-Tot,"  and  my  "Custom  and  Myth"  ("Cupid,  Psyche,  and 
the  Sun  Frog  "). 

2  Panegyr.,  28. 


BAUBO  87 

the  Goddess,  not  by  the  harmless  pleasantries 
of  lambe,  in  the  Hymn,  but  by  obscene 
gestures.  The  Christian  Fathers,  Clemens  of 
Alexandria  at  least,  make  this  a  part  of  their 
attack  on  the  Mysteries  ;  but  it  may  be  said 
that  they  were  prejudiced  or  misinformed.1 
But,  says  M.  Foucart,  an  inscription  has  been 
found  in  Paros,  wherein  there  is  a  dedication 
to  Hera,  Demeter  Thesmophoros,  Kore,  and 
Babo,  or  Baubo.  Again,  two  authors  of  the 
fourth  century,  Palaephatus  and  Asclepiades, 
cite  the  Dusaules  and  Baubo  legend.2 

Now  the  indecent  gesture  of  Baubo  was 
part  of  the  comic  or  obscene  folk-lore  of 
contempt  in  Egypt,  and  so  M.  Foucart  thinks 
that  it  was  borrowed  from  Egypt  with  the 
Demeter  legend.3  Can  Isocrates  have  referred 
to  this  good  office  ? — the  amusing  of  Demeter 
by  an  obscene  gesture  ?  If  he  did,  such 
gestures  as  Baubo's  are  as  widely  diffused  as 
any  other  piece  of  folk-lore.  In  the  centre  of 

1  Clem.  Alex.  Protrept.,  ii.  77  et  seq. 

2  Harpocration,  s.  v.  AwratfXTjj. 

3  Cf.  avaavprHXis,  Hippon,   90,  and  Theophrastus,  Charact. 
6,  and  Synesius,  213,  c.     Liddell  and  Scott,  s.  v.  ava.atp<a. 


88  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

the  Australian  desert  Mr.  Carnegie  saw  a  native 
make  a  derisive  gesture  which  he  thought  had 
only  been  known  to  English  schoolboys.1 
Again,  indecent  pantomimic  dances,  said  to  be 
intended  to  act  as  "  object  lessons  "  in  things 
not  to  be  done,  are  common  in  Australian 
Mysteries.  Further,  we  do  not  know  Baubo, 
or  a  counterpart  of  her,  in  the  ritual  of  Isis, 
and  the  clay  figurines  of  such  a  figure,  in 
Egypt,  are  of  the  Greek,  the  Ptolemaic  period. 
Thus  the  evidence  comes  to  this  :  an  indecent 
gesture  of  contempt,  known  in  Egypt,  is,  at 
Eleusis,  attributed  to  Baubo.  This  does  not 
prove  that  Baubo  was  originally  Egyptian.2 
Certain  traditions  make  Demeter  the  mistress 
of  Celeus.3  Traces  of  a  "  mystic  marriage," 
which  also  occur,  are  not  necessarily  Egyptian : 
the  idea  and  rite  are  common. 

There  remains  the  question  of  the  sacred 
objects  displayed  (possibly  statues,  probably 
very  ancient  "  medicine "  things,  as  among 
the  Pawnees)  and  sacred  words  spoken. 

1  "Sand  and  Spinifex,"  1899.  2  Foucart,  pp.  45,  46. 

3  Hymn,  Orph.,  41,  5-9. 


JOURNEY  OF  THE  SOUL  89 

These  are  said  by  many  authors  to  confirm 
the  initiate  in  their  security  of  hope  as  to  a 
future  life.  Now  similar  instruction,  as  to 
the  details  of  the  soul's  voyage,  the  dangers 
to  avoid,  the  precautions  to  be  taken,  notori- 
ously occur  in  the  Egyptian  "  Book  of  the 
Dead."  But  very  similar  fancies  are  reported 
from  the  Ojibbeways  (Kohl),  the  Polynesians 
and  Maoris  (Taylor,  Turner,  Gill,  Thomson), 
the  early  peoples  of  Virginia,1  the  modern 
Arapaho  and  Sioux  of  the  Ghost  Dance  rite, 
the  Aztecs,  and  so  forth.  In  all  countries 
these  details  are  said  to  have  been  revealed 
by  men  or  women  who  died,  but  did  not 
(like  Persephone)  taste  the  food  of  the  dead  ; 
and  so  were  enabled  to  return  to  earth.  The 
initiate,  at  Eleusis,  were  guided  along  a 
theatrically  arranged  pathway  of  the  dead, 
into  a  theatrical  Elysium.2  Now  as  such 
ideas  as  these  occur  among  races  utterly 
removed  from  contact  with  Egypt,  as  they 
are  part  of  the  European  folk-lore  of  the 
visits  of  mortals  to  fairyland  (in  which  it  is 

1  Heriot,  1586.  2  Foucart,  pp.  56-59. 


go  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

fatal  to  taste  fairy  food),  I  do  not  see  that 
Eleusis  need  have  borrowed  such  common 
elements  of  early  belief  from  the  Egyptians 
in  the  seventh  century  B.C.1  One  might  as 
well  attribute  to  Egypt  the  Finnish  legend 
of  the  descent  of  Wainamoinen  into  Tuonela  ; 
or  the  experience  of  the  aunt  of  Montezuma 
just  before  the  arrival  of  Cortes ;  or  the  ex- 
pedition to  fairyland  of  Thomas  the  Rhymer. 
It  is  not  pretended  by  M.  Foucart  that  the 
details  of  the  "  Book  of  the  Dead "  were 
copied  in  Greek  ritual ;  and  the  general  idea 
of  a  river  to  cross,  of  dangerous  monsters  to 
avoid,  of  perils  to  encounter,  of  precautions 
to  be  taken  by  the  wandering  soul,  is  nearly 
universal,  where  it  must  be  unborrowed  from 
Egypt,  in  Polynesian  and  Red  Indian  belief. 
As  at  Eleusis,  in  these  remote  tribes  formulae 
of  a  preservative  character  are  inculcated. 

The  "  Book  of  the  Dead "  was  a  guide- 
book of  the  itinerary  of  Egyptian  souls.  Very 
probably  similar  instruction  was  given  to  the 
initiate  at  Eleusis.  But  the  Fijians  also  have 

1  Foucart   p.  64. 


PATH  OF  SHADES  91 

a  regular  theory  of  what  is  to  be  done  and 
avoided  on  "  The  Path  of  the  Shades."  The 
shade  is  ferried  by  Ceba  (Charon)  over 
Wainiyalo  (Lethe)  ;  he  reaches  the  mystic 
pandanus  tree  (here  occurs  a  rite)  ;  he  meets, 
and  dodges,  Drodroyalo  and  the  two  devour- 
ing Goddesses ;  he  comes  to  a  spring,  and 
drinks,  and  forgets  sorrow  at  Wai-na-dula, 
the  "  Water  of  Solace."  After  half-a-dozen 
other  probations  and  terrors,  he  reaches  the 
Gods,  "  the  dancing-ground  and  the  white 
quicksand  ;  and  then  the  young  Gods  dance 
before  them  and  sing.  .  .  ." l 

Now  turn  to  Plutarch.2  Plutarch  com- 
pares the  soul's  mortal  experience  with  that 
of  the  initiate  in  the  Mysteries.  "  There  are 
wanderings,  darkness,  fear,  trembling,  shud- 
dering, horror,  then  a  marvellous  light :  pure 
places  and  meadows,  dances,  songs,  and  holy 
apparitions."  Plutarch  might  be  summarising 

1  Basil  Thomson,  "The  Kalou-Vu "  (Journal  Anthrop.  I»st., 
May   1895,   pp.    349-356).     Mr.   Thomson  was  struck  by  the 
Greek  analogies,  but  he  did  not  know,  or  does  not  allude  to, 
Plutarch  and  the  Golden  Scroll. 

2  Fragments,  V.  p.  9,  Didot ;  Foucart,  p.  56,  note. 


92  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

the  Fijian  belief.  Again,  take  the  mystic 
golden  scroll,  found  in  a  Greek  grave  at 
Petilia.  It  describes  in  hexameters  the  Path 
of  the  Shade  :  the  spring  and  the  white 
cypress  on  the  left :  "  Do  not  approach  it. 
Go  to  the  other  stream  from  the  Lake  of 
Memory  ;  tell  the  Guardians  that  you  are 
the  child  of  Earth  and  of  the  starry  sky, 
but  that  yours  is  a  heavenly  lineage  ;  and 
they  will  give  you  to  drink  of  that  water, 
and  you  shall  reign  with  the  other  heroes." 

Tree,  and  spring,  and  peaceful  place  with 
dance,  song,  and  divine  apparitions,  all  are 
Fijian,  all  are  Greek,  yet  nothing  is  borrowed 
by  Fiji  from  Greece.  Many  other  Greek 
inscriptions  cited  by  M.  Foucart  attest  similar 
beliefs.  Very  probably  such  precepts  as  those 
of  the  Petilia  scroll  were  among  the  secret 
instructions  of  Eleusis.  But  they  are  not 
so  much  Egyptian  as  human.  Chibiabos  is 
assuredly  not  borrowed  from  Osiris,  nor  the 
Fijian  faith  from  the  "  Book  of  the  Dead." 
"  Sacred  things,"  not  to  be  shown  to  man, 
still  less  to  woman,  date  from  the  "  medicine 


•W   V*  J 


Pellissier  &  Allen,  sc 
DEMETER  AND   PERSEPHONE    SENDING  TRIPTOLEMOS 

ON    HIS    MISSION  . 
Marble  relief  found  at  Elensis  .-  now  in  Athens. 


ORIGIN  OF  MYSTERIES  93 

bag"  of  the  Red  Indian,  the  mystic  tribal 
bundles  of  the  Pawnees,  and  the  churinga, 
and  bark  "  native  portmanteaux,"  of  which 
Mr.  Carnegie  brought  several  from  the  Aus- 
tralian desert. 

For  all  Greek  Mysteries  a  satisfactory 
savage  analogy  can  be  found.  These  spring 
straight  from  human  nature  :  from  the  desire 
to  place  customs,  and  duties,  and  taboos 
under  divine  protection  ;  from  the  need  of 
strengthening  them,  and  the  influence  of  the 
elders,  by  mystic  sanctions  ;  from  the  need 
of  fortifying  and  trying  the  young  by  pro- 
bations of  strength,  secrecy,  and  fortitude ; 
from  the  magical  expulsion  of  hostile  in- 
fluences ;  from  the  sympathetic  magic  of 
early  agriculture  ;  from  study  of  the  pro- 
cesses of  nature  regarded  as  personal  ;  and 
from  guesses,  surmises,  visions,  and  dreams 
as  to  the  fortunes  of  the  wandering  soul  on 
its  way  to  its  final  home.  I  have  shown 
all  these  things  to  be  human,  universal,  not 
sprung  from  one  race  in  one  region.  Greek 
Mysteries  are  based  on  all  these  natural  early 


94  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

conceptions  of  life  and  death.  The  early 
Greeks,  like  other  races,  entertained  these 
primitive,  or  very  archaic  ideas.  Greece  had 
no  need  to  borrow  from  Egypt  ;  and,  though 
Egypt  was  within  reach,  Greece  probably 
developed  freely  her  original  stock  of  ideas 
in  her  own  fashion,  just  as  did  the  Incas, 
Aztecs,  Australians,  Ojibbeways,  and  the  other 
remote  peoples  whom  I  have  selected.  The 
argument  of  M.  Foucart,  I  think,  is  only  good 
as  long  as  we  are  ignorant  of  the  universally 
diffused  forms  of  religious  belief  which  corre- 
spond to  the  creeds  of  Eleusis  or  of  Egypt. 
In  the  Greek  Mysteries  we  have  the  Greek 
guise, — solemn,  wistful,  hopeful,  holy,  and 
pure,  yet  not  uncontaminated  with  archaic 
buffoonery, — of  notions  and  rites,  hopes  and 
fears,  common  to  all  mankind.  There  is 
no  other  secret. 

The  same  arguments  as  I  have  advanced 
against  Greek  borrowing  from  Egypt,  apply 
to  Greek  borrowing  from  Asia.  Mr.  Ramsay, 
following  Mr.  Robertson  Smith,  suggests  that 
Leto,  the  mother  of  Apollo  and  Artemis, 


PHRYGIAN  THEORY  95 

may  be  "the  old  Semitic  Al-lat." l  Then 
we  have  Leto  and  Artemis,  as  the  Mother 
and  the  Maid  (Kore)  with  their  mystery  play. 
"  Clement  describes  them  "  (the  details)  as 
"  Eleusinian,  for  they  had  spread  to  Eleusis 
as  the  rites  of  Demeter  and  Kore  crossing 
from  Asia  to  Crete,  and  from  Crete  to  the 
European  peninsula."  The  ritual  "  remained 
everywhere  fundamentally  the  same."  Obvi- 
ously if  the  Eleusinian  Mysteries  are  of 
Phrygian  origin  (Ramsay),  they  cannot  also 
be  of  Egyptian  origin  (Foucart).  In  truth 
they  are  no  more  specially  of  Phrygian  or 
Egyptian  than  of  Pawnee  or  Peruvian  origin. 
Mankind  can  and  does  evolve  such  ideas  and 
rites  in  any  region  of  the  world.2 

1  Herodotus,  Alilat,  i.  131,  iii.  8. 

2  "Cities  and  Bishoprics  of  Phrygia,"  1895,  v°l-  '•  PP-  9J>  92- 


CONCLUSION 

"  \  A  7  HAT  has  all  this  farrago  about  savages 
*  *  to  do  with  Dionysus  ? "  I  conceive 
some  scholar,  or  literary  critic  asking,  if  such  an 
one  looks  into  this  book.  Certainly  it  would 
have  been  easier  for  me  to  abound  in  aesthetic 
criticism  of  the  Hymns,  and  on  the  aspect  of 
Greek  literary  art  which  they  illustrate.  But 
the  Hymns,  if  read  even  through  the  pale 
medium  of  a  translation,  speak  for  themselves. 
Their  beauties  and  defects  as  poetry  are  patent : 
patent,  too,  are  the  charm  and  geniality  of  the 
national  character  which  they  express.  The 
glad  Ionian  gatherings ;  the  archaic  humour  ; 
the  delight  in  life,  and  love,  and  nature  ;  the 
pious  domesticities  of  the  sacred  Hearth  ;  the 
peopling  of  woods,  hills,  and  streams  with 
exquisite  fairy  forms  ;  all  these  make  the  poetic 

delight  of  the  Hymns.     But  all  these  need  no 

96 


UNIVERSALITY  97 

pointing  out  to  any  reader.    The  poets  can 
speak  for  themselves. 

On  the  other  hand  the  confusions  of  sacred 
and  profane  ;  the  origins  of  the  Mysteries  ;  the 
beginnings  of  the  Gods  in  a  mental  condition 
long  left  behind  by  Greece  when  the  Hymns 
were  composed ;  all  these  matters  need  eluci- 
dation. I  have  tried  to  elucidate  them  as 
results  of  evolution  from  the  remote  prehistoric 
past  of  Greece,  which,  as  it  seems,  must  in 
many  points  have  been  identical  with  the  his- 
toric present  of  the  lowest  contemporary  races. 
In  the  same  way,  if  dealing  with  ornament,  I 
would  derive  the  spirals,  volutes,  and  concen- 
tric circles  of  Mycenaean  gold  work,  from  the 
identical  motives,  on  the  oldest  incised  rocks 
and  kists  of  our  Islands,  of  North  and  South 
America,  and  of  the  tribes  of  Central  Australia, 
recently  described  by  Messrs.  Spencer  and 
Gillen,  and  Mr.  Carnegie.  The  material  of  the 
Mycenaean  artist  may  be  gold,  his  work  may 
be  elegant  and  firm,  but  he  traces  the  selfsame 
ornament  as  the  naked  Arunta,  with  feebler 

hand,  paints  on  sacred  rocks  or  on  the  bodies 

G 


HOMERIC  HYMNS 


of  his  tribesmen.  What  is  true  of  ornament 
is  true  of  myth,  rite,  and  belief.  Greece  only 
offers  a  gracious  modification  of  the  beliefs, 
rites,  and  myths  of  the  races  who  now  are 
"  nearest  the  beginning,"  however  remote 
from  that  unknown  beginning  they  may  be. 
To  understand  this  is  to  come  closer  to  a 
true  conception  of  the  evolution  of  Greek  faith 
and  art  than  we  can  reach  by  any  other  path. 
Yet  to  insist  on  this  is  not  to  ignore  the 
unmeasured  advance  of  the  Greeks  in  deve- 
lopment of  society  and  art.  On  that  head 
the  Hymns,  like  all  Greek  poetry,  bear  their 
own  free  testimony.  But,  none  the  less, 
Greek  religion  and  myth  present  features 
repellent  to  us,  which  derive  their  origin, 
not  from  savagery,  but  from  the  more  crude 
horrors  of  the  lower  and  higher  barbarisms. 

Greek  religion,  Greek  myth,  are  vast  con- 
glomerates. We  find  a  savage  origin  for 
Apollo,  and  savage  origins  for  many  of 
the  Mysteries.  But  the  cruelty  of  savage 
initiations  has  been  purified  away.  On  the 


WHAT  COULD  NOT  LAST  99 

other  hand,  we  find  a  barbaric  origin  for 
departmental  gods,  such  as  Aphrodite,  and 
for  Greek  human  sacrifices,  unknown  to  the 
lowest  savagery.  From  savagery  Zeus  is 
probably  derived ;  from  savagery  come  the 
germs  of  the  legends  of  divine  amours  in 
animal  forms.  But  from  barbarism  arises 
the  sympathetic  magic  of  agriculture,  which 
the  lowest  races  do  not  practise.  From  the 
barbaric  condition,  not  from  savagery,  comes 
Greek  hero-worship,  for  the  lowest  races  do 
not  worship  ancestral  spirits.  Such  is  the 
medley  of  prehistoric  ideas  in  Greece,  while 
the  charm  and  poetry  of  the  Hymns  are  due 
mainly  to  the  unique  genius  of  the  fully  deve- 
loped Hellenic  race.  The  combination  of 
good  and  bad,  of  ancestral  rites  and  ideas, 
of  native  taste,  of  philosophical  refinement 
on  inherited  theology,  could  not  last  ;  the 
elements  were  too  discordant.  And  yet  it 
could  not  pass  naturally  away.  The  Greece 
of  A.D.  300 

"  Wandered  between  two  worlds,  one  dead, 
The  other  powerless  to  be  born," 


ioo  HOMERIC  HYMNS 

without  external  assistance.  That  help  was 
brought  by  the  Christian  creed,  and,  officially, 
Gods,  rites,  and  myths  vanished,  while,  un- 
officially, they  partially  endure,  even  to  this 
day,  in  Romaic  folk-lore. 


HOMERIC     HYMNS 


SILVER   STATER   OF   CROTON   (ABOUT  4OO.B.C.). 

Obv.  Hercules,  the  Founder. 

Rev.  Apollo  shooting  the  Python  by  the  Delphic  Tripod. 


HYMN   TO   APOLLO 

\  MINDFUL,  ever  mindful,  will  I  be  of 
*•  Y  *  Apollo  the  Far-darter.  Before  him,  as 
he  fares  through  the  hall  of  Zeus,  the  Gods 
tremble,  yea,  rise  up  all  from  their  thrones 
as  he  draws  near  with  his  shining  bended 
bow.  But  Leto  alone  abides  by  Zeus,  the 
Lord  of  Lightning,  till  Apollo  hath  slackened 
his  bow  and  closed  his  quiver.  Then,  taking 
with  her  hands  from  his  mighty  shoulders 


103 


104  HOMERIC  HYMNS  6-22 

the  bow  and  quiver,  she  hangs  them  against 
the  pillar  beside  his  father's  seat  from  a  pin 
of  gold,  and  leads  him  to  his  place  and 
seats  him  there,  while  the  father  welcomes 
his  dear  son,  giving  him  nectar  in  a  golden 
cup  ;  then  do  the  other  Gods  welcome  him  ; 
then  they  make  him  sit,  and  Lady  Leto 
rejoices,  in  that  she  bore  the  Lord  of  the 
Bow,  her  mighty  son. 

[Hail!  O  blessed  Leto;  mother  of  glorious 
children,  Prince  Apollo  and  Artemis  the 
Archer  ;  her  in  Ortygia,  him  in  rocky  Delos 
didst  thou  bear,  couching  against  the  long 
sweep  of  the  Cynthian  Hill,  beside  a  palm 
tree,  by  the  streams  of  Inopus.] 

How  shall  I  hymn  thee  aright,  howbeit 
thou  art,  in  sooth,  not  hard  to  hymn  ? 1  for  to 
thee,  Phoebus,  everywhere  have  fallen  aU  the 
ranges  of  song,  both  on  the  mainland,  nurse 
of  young  kine,  and  among  the  isles ;  to  thee 
all  the  cliffs  are  dear,  and  the  steep  mountain 

1  Callim.,  H.  Apoll.  30. 

T(H>  Qoifiov  £<f>'  tv  fjJtvov  rj/J-ap  aeUrei 
^'  T/J  &v  ou  fta  Qoiftov  aelSw. ; 


LETO 

With  her  infants,  Apollo  and  Artemis 

From  a  Vase  in  the  British  Museum 

(Sixth  Century  B.C.)  - 


23-42  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  105 

crests  and  rivers  running  onward  to  the  salt 
sea,  and  beaches  sloping  to  the  foam,  and 
havens  of  the  deep  ?  Shall  I  tell  how  Leto 
bore  thee  first,  a  delight  of  men,  couched  by 
the  Cynthian  Hill  in  the  rocky  island,  in  sea- 
girt Delos — on  either  hand  the  black  wave 
drives  landward  at  the  word  of  the  shrill 
winds — whence  arising  thou  art  Lord  over  all 
mortals  ? 

Among  them  that  dwell  in  Crete,  and 
the  people  of  Athens,  and  isle  ^Egina,  and 
Eubcea  famed  for  fleets,  and  JEgse  and 
Peiresiae,  and  Peparethus  by  the  sea-strand, 
and  Thracian  Athos,  and  the  tall  crests  of 
Pelion,  and  Thracian  Samos,  and  the  shadowy 
mountains  of  Ida,  Scyros,  and  Phocaea,  and 
the  mountain  wall  of  Aigocane,  and  stab- 
lished  Imbros,  and  inhospitable  Lemnos,  and 
goodly  Lesbos,  the  seat  of  Makar  son  of 
.^olus,  and  Chios,  brightest  of  all  islands  of 
the  deep,  and  craggy  Mimas,  and  the  steep 
crests  of  Mykale,  and  gleaming  Claros,  and 
the  high  hills  of  ^Esagee,  and  watery  Samos, 
and  tall  ridges  of  Mycale,  and  Miletus,  and 


io6  HOMERIC  HYMNS  42-61 

Cos,  a  city  of  Meropian  men,  and  steep  Cnidos, 
and  windy  Carpathus,  Naxos  and  Paros,  and 
rocky  Rheneia  —  so  far  in  travail  with  the 
Archer  God  went  Leto,  seeking  if  perchance 
any  land  would  build  a  house  for  her  son. 

But  the  lands  trembled  sore,  and  were 
adread,  and  none,  nay  not  the  richest,  dared 
to  welcome  Phcebus,  not  till  Lady  Leto  set 
foot  on  Delos,  and  speaking  winged  words 
besought  her : 

"  Delos,  would  that  thou  wert  minded  to  be 
the  seat  of  my  Son,  Phcebus  Apollo,  and  to 
let  build  him  therein  a  rich  temple  !  No  other 
God  will  touch  thee,  nor  none  will  honour 
thee,  for  methinks  thou  art  not  to  be  well 
seen  in  cattle  or  in  sheep,  in  fruit  or  grain, 
nor  wilt  thou  grow  plants  unnumbered.  But 
wert  thou  to  possess  a  temple  of  Apollo  the 
Far-darter ;  then  would  all  men  bring  thee 
hecatombs,  gathering  to  thee,  and  ever  wilt 
thou  have  savour  of  sacrifice  .  .  .  from 
others'  hands,  albeit  thy  soil  is  poor." 

Thus  spoke  she,  and  Delos  was  glad  and 
answered  her  saying : 


62-8o  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  107 

"  Leto,  daughter  most  renowned  of  mighty 
Coeus,  right  gladly  would  I  welcome  the 
birth  of  the  Archer  Prince,  for  verily  of  me 
there  goes  an  evil  report  among  men,  and 
thus  would  I  wax  mightiest  of  renown.  But 
at  this  Word,  Leto,  I  tremble,  nor  will  I  hide 
it  from  thee,  for  the  saying  is  that  Apollo 
will  be  mighty  of  mood,  and  mightily  will 
lord  it  over  mortals  and  immortals  far 
and  wide  over  the  earth,  the  grain-giver. 
Therefore,  I  deeply  dread  in  heart  and  soul 
lest,  when  first  he  looks  upon  the  sunlight, 
he  disdain  my  island,  for  rocky  of  soil  am  I, 
and  spurn  me  with  his  feet  and  drive  me 
down  in  the  gulfs  of  the  salt  sea.  Then 
should  a  great  sea-wave  wash  mightily  above 
my  head  for  ever,  but  he  will  fare  to  another 
land,  which  so  pleases  him,  to  fashion  him  a 
temple  and  groves  of  trees.  But  in  me  would 
many-footed  sea-beasts  and  black  seals  make 
their  chambers  securely,  no  men  dwelling  by 
me.  Nay,  still,  if  thou  hast  the  heart,  God- 
dess, to  swear  a  great  oath  that  here  first  he 
will  build  a  beautiful  temple,  to  be  the  shrine 


io8  HOMERIC  HYMNS  81-99 

oracular  of  men — thereafter  among  all  men 
let  him  raise  him  shrines,  since  his  renown 
shall  be  the  widest." 

So  spake  she,  but  Leto  swore  the  great 
oath  of  the  Gods  : 

"  Bear  witness,  Earth,  and  the  wide  heaven 
above,  and  dropping  water  of  Styx — the 
greatest  oath  and  the  most  dread  among  the 
blessed  Gods — that  verily  here  shall  ever  be 
the  fragrant  altar  and  the  portion  of  Apollo, 
and  thee  will  he  honour  above  all." 

When  she  had  sworn  and  done  that  oath, 
then  Delos  was  glad  in  the  birth  of  the 
Archer  Prince.  But  Leto,  for  nine  days 
and  nine  nights  continually  was  pierced 
with  pangs  of  child-birth  beyond  all  hope. 
With  her  were  all  the  Goddesses,  the  good- 
liest, Dione  and  Rheia,  and  Ichnaean  Themis, 
and  Amphitrite  of  the  moaning  sea,  and  the 
other  deathless  ones — save  white-armed  Hera. 
Alone  she  wotted  not  of  it,  Eilithyia,  the 
helper  in  difficult  travail.  For  she  sat  on 
the  crest  of  Olympus  beneath  the  golden 
clouds,  by  the  wile  of  white-armed  Hera, 


ioo-ii7  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  109 

who  held  her  afar  in  jealous  grudge,  because 
even  then  fair-tressed  Leto  was  about  bearing 
her  strong  and  noble  son. 

But  the  Goddesses  sent  forth  Iris  from 
the  fair-stablished  isle,  to  bring  Eilithyia, 
promising  her  a  great  necklet,  golden  with 
amber  studs,  nine  cubits  long.  Iris  they 
bade  to  call  Eilithyia  apart  from  white- 
armed  Hera,  lest  even  then  the  words  of 
Hera  might  turn  her  from  her  going.  But 
wind-footed  swift  Iris  heard,  and  fleeted 
forth,  and  swiftly  she  devoured  the  space 
between.  So  soon  as  she  came  to  steep 
Olympus,  the  dwelling  of  the  Gods,  she 
called  forth  Eilithyia  from  hall  to  door, 
and  spake  winged  words,  even  all  that  the 
Goddesses  of  Olympian  mansions  had  bidden 
her.  Thereby  she  won  the  heart  in  Eili- 
thyia's  breast,  and  forth  they  fared,  like 
timid  wild  doves  in  their  going. 

Even  when  Eilithyia,  the  helper  in  sore 
travailing,  set  foot  in  Delos,  then  labour 
took  hold  on  Leto,  and  a  passion  to  bring 
to  the  birth.  Around  a  palm  tree  she  cast 


1 10  HOMERIC  HYMNS  n  7-1 34 

her  arms,  and  set  her  knees  on  the  soft 
meadow,  while  earth  beneath  smiled,  and 
forth  leaped  the  babe  to  light,  and  all  the 
Goddesses  raised  a  cry.  Then,  great  Phoe- 
bus, the  Goddesses  washed  thee  in  fair 
water,  holy  and  purely,  and  wound  thee 
in  white  swaddling  bands,  delicate,  new 
woven,  with  a  golden  girdle  round  thee. 
Nor  did  his  mother  suckle  Apollo  the  golden- 
sworded,  but  Themis  with  immortal  hands 
first  touched  his  lips  with  nectar  and  sweet 
ambrosia,  while  Leto  rejoiced,  in  that  she 
had  borne  her  strong  son,  the  bearer  of 
the  bow. 

Then  Phcebus,  as  soon  as  thou  hadst  tasted 
the  food  of  Paradise,  the  golden  bands  were 
not  proof  against  thy  pantings,  nor  bonds 
could  bind  thee,  but  all  their  ends  were 
loosened.  Straightway  among  the  Goddesses 
spoke  Phcebus  Apollo  :  "  Mine  be  the  dear 
lyre  and  bended  bow,  and  I  will  utter  to 
men  the  unerring  counsel  of  Zeus." 

So  speaking,  he  began  to  fare  over  the 
wide  ways  of  earth,  Phcebus  of  the  locks 


135-153  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  in 

unshorn,  Phoebus  the  Far-darter.  Thereon 
all  the  Goddesses  were  in  amaze,  and  all 
Delos  blossomed  with  gold,  as  when  a  hill- 
top is  heavy  with  woodland  flowers,  behold- 
ing the  child  of  Zeus  and  Leto,  and  glad 
because  the  God  had  chosen  her  wherein 
to  set  his  home,  beyond  mainland  and  isles, 
and  loved  her  most  at  heart. 

But  thyself,  O  Prince  of  the  Silver  Bow, 
far-darting  Apollo,  didst  now  pass  over  rocky 
Cynthus,  now  wander  among  temples  and 
men.  Many  are  thy  fanes  and  groves,  and 
dear  are  all  the  headlands,  and  high  peaks 
of  lofty  hills,  and  rivers  flowing  onward  to 
the  sea ;  but  with  Delos,  Phoebus,  art  thou 
most  delighted  at  heart,  where  the  long- 
robed  lonians  gather  in  thine  honour,  with 
children  and  shame-fast  wives.  Mindful  of 
thee  they  delight  thee  with  boxing,  and  dances, 
and  minstrelsy  in  their  games.  Who  so  then 
encountered  them  at  the  gathering  of  the. 
lonians,  would  say  that  they  are  exempt  from 
eld  and  death,  beholding  them  so  gracious, 
and  would  be  glad  at  heart,  looking  on  the 


112  HOMERIC  HYMNS  154-172 

men  and  fair-girdled  women,  and  their  much 
wealth,  and  their  swift  galleys.  Moreover, 
there  is  this  great  marvel  of  renown  im- 
perishable, the  Delian  damsels,  hand-maidens 
of  the  Far-darter.  They,  when  first  they 
have  hymned  Apollo,  and  next  Leto  and 
Artemis  the  Archer,  then  sing  in  memory  of 
the  men  and  women  of  old  time,  enchanting 
the  tribes  of  mortals.  And  they  are  skilled 
to  mimic  the  notes  and  dance  music  of  all 
men,  so  that  each  would  say  himself  were 
singing,  so  well  woven  is  their  fair  chant. 

But  now  come,  be  gracious,  Apollo,  be 
gracious,  Artemis  ;  and  ye  maidens  all,  fare- 
well, but  remember  me  even  in  time  to  come, 
when  any  of  earthly  men,  yea,  any  stranger 
that  much  hath  seen  and  much  endured, 
comes  hither  and  asks  : 

"  Maidens,  who  is  the  sweetest  to  you  of 
singers  here  conversant,  and  in  whose  song 
are  ye  most  glad  ? " 

Then  do  you  all  with  one  voice  make 
answer : 

"  A   blind    man   is    he,    and   he   dwells  in 


173-189  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  113 

rocky  Chios ;  his  songs  will  ever  have  the 
mastery,  ay,  in  all  time  to  come." 

But  I  shall  bear  my  renown  of  you  as  far 
as  I  wander  over  earth  to  the  fairest  cities  of 
men,  and  they  will  believe  my  report,  for  my 
word  is  true.  But,  for  me,  never  shall  I 
cease  singing  of  Apollo  of  the  Silver  Bow, 
the  Far-darter,  whom  fair-tressed  Leto  bore. 

O  Prince,  Lycia  is  thine,  and  pleasant 
Maeonia,  and  Miletus,  a  winsome  city  by  the 
sea,  and  thou,  too,  art  the  mighty  lord  of 
sea-washed  Delos. 


THE  FOUNDING   OF   DELPHI 

The  son  of  glorious  Leto  fares  harping 
on  his  hollow  harp  to  rocky  Pytho,  clad 
in  his  fragrant  raiment  that  waxes  not  old, 
and  beneath  the  golden  plectrum  winsomely 
sounds  his  lyre.  Thence  from  earth  to 
Olympus,  fleet  as  thought,  he  goes  to  the 
House  of  Zeus,  into  the  Consistory  of  the 
other  Gods,  and  anon  the  Immortals  bethink 

them  of  harp  and   minstrelsy.     And  all  the 

H 


1 14  HOMERIC  H  YMNS  1 89-207 

Muses  together  with  sweet  voice  in  antiphonal 
chant  replying,  sing  of  the  imperishable  gifts 
of  the  Gods,  and  the  sufferings  of  men,  all 
that  they  endure  from  the  hands  of  the  un- 
dying Gods,  lives  witless  and  helpless,  men 
unavailing  to  find  remede  for  death  or  buck- 
ler against  old  age.  Then  the  fair-tressed 
Graces  and  boon  Hours,  and  Harmonia, 
and  Hebe,  and  Aphrodite,  daughter  of  Zeus, 
dance,  holding  each  by  the  wrist  the  other's 
hand,  while  among  them  sings  one  neither 
unlovely,  nor  of  body  contemptible,  but 
divinely  tall  and  fair,  Artemis  the  Archer,  nur- 
tured with  Apollo.  Among  them  sport  Ares, 
and  the  keen-eyed  Bane  of  Argos,  while 
Phoebus  Apollo  steps  high  and  disposedly, 
playing  the  lyre,  and  the  light  issues  round 
him  from  twinkling  feet  and  fair-woven  rai- 
ment. But  all  they  are  glad,  seeing  him  so 
high  of  heart,  Leto  of  the  golden  tresses, 
and  Zeus  the  Counsellor,  beholding  their 
dear  son  as  he  takes  his  pastime  among  the 
deathless  Gods. 

How  shall    I    hymn    thee    aright,  howbeit 


208-226  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  115 

thou  art,  in  sooth,  not  hard  to  hymn  ?  Shall 
I  sing  of  thee  in  love  and  dalliance  ;  how  thou 
wentest  forth  to  woo  the  maiden  Azanian, 
with  Ischys,  peer  of  Gods,  and  Elation's  son 
of  the  goodly  steeds,  or  with  Phorbas,  son 
of  Triopes,  or  Amarynthus,  or  how  with 
Leucippus  and  Leucippus'  wife,  thyself  on 
foot,  he  in  the  chariot  .  .  .  ? l  Or  how 
first,  seeking  a  place  of  oracle  for  men,  thou 
earnest  down  to  earth,  far-darting  Apollo  ? 

On  Pieria  first  didst  thou  descend  from 
Olympus,  and  pass  by  Lacmus,  and  Emathia, 
and  Enienae,  and  through  Perrhaebia,  and 
speedily  earnest  to  lolcus,  and  alight  on 
Cenaeum  in  Euboea,  renowned  for  galleys. 
On  the  Lelantian  plain  thou  stoodest,  but  it 
pleased  thee  not  there  to  stablish  a  temple 
and  a  grove.  Thence  thou  didst  cross  Euri- 
pus,  far-darting  Apollo,  and  fare  up  the 
green  hill  divine,  and  thence  earnest  speedily 
to  Mycalessus  and  Teumesos  of  the  bedded 
meadow  grass,  and  thence  to  the  place  of 
woodclad  Thebe,  for  as  yet  no  mortals  dwelt 

1  The  Greek  is  corrupt,  especially  in  line  213. 


n6  HOMERIC  HYMNS  226-244 

in  Holy  Thebe,  nor  yet  were  paths  nor  ways 
along  Thebe's  wheat-bearing  plain,  but  all 
was  wild  wood. 

Thence  forward  journeying,  Apollo,  thou 
earnest  to  Onchestus,  the  bright  grove  of 
Poseidon.  There  the  new-broken  colt  takes 
breath  again,  weary  though  he  be  with 
dragging  the  goodly  chariot ;  and  to  earth, 
skilled  though  he  be,  leaps  down  the 
charioteer,  and  fares  on  foot,  while  the 
horses  for  a  while  rattle  along  the  empty  car, 
with  the  reins  on  their  necks,  and  if  the  car 
be  broken  in  the  grove  of  trees,  their  masters 
tend  them  there,  and  tilt  the  car  and  let  it 
lie.  Such  is  the  rite  from  of  old,  and  they 
pray  to  the  King  Poseidon,  while  the  chariot 
is  the  God's  portion  to  keep. 

Thence  faring  forward,  far-darting  Apollo, 
thou  didst  win  to  Cephisus  of  the  fair  streams, 
that  from  Lilaea  pours  down  his  beautiful 
waters,  which  crossing,  Far-darter,  and  passing 
Ocalea  of  the  towers,  thou  earnest  thereafter 
to  grassy  Haliartus.  Then  didst  thou  set  foot 
on  Telphusa,  and  to  thee  the  land  seemed 


245-263  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  117 

exceeding  good  wherein  to  stablish  a  temple 
and  a  grove. 

Beside  Telphusa  didst  thou  stand,  and 
spake  to  her :  "  Telphusa,  here  methinketh 
to  stablish  a  fair  temple,  an  oracle  for  men, 
who,  ever  seeking  for  the  word  of  sooth, 
will  bring  me  hither  perfect  hecatombs, 
even  they  that  dwell  in  the  rich  isle  of 
Pelops,  and  all  they  of  the  mainland  and  sea- 
girt islands.  To  them  all  shall  I  speak  the 
decree  unerring,  rendering  oracles  within 
my  rich  temple." 

So  spake  Phoebus,  and  thoroughly  marked 
out  the  foundations,  right  long  and  wide. 
But  at  the  sight  the  heart  of  Telphusa  waxed 
wroth,  and  she  spake  her  word  : 

"  Phoebus,  far-darting  Prince,  a  word  shall 
I  set  in  thy  heart.  Here  thinkest  thou  to 
stablish  a  goodly  temple,  to  be  a  place  of 
oracle  for  men,  that  ever  will  bring  thee 
hither  perfect  hecatombs — nay,  but  this 
will  I  tell  thee,  and  do  thou  lay  it  up  in 
thine  heart.  The  never-ending  din  of  swift 
steeds  will  be  a  weariness  to  thee,  and  the 


n8  HOMERIC  HYMNS  264-281 

watering  of  mules  from  my  sacred  springs. 
There  men  will  choose  rather  to  regard  the 
well-wrought  chariots,  and  the  stamping  of 
the  swift-footed  steeds,  than  thy  great  temple 
and  much  wealth  therein.  But  an  if  thou — 
that  art  greater  and  better  than  I,  O  Prince, 
and  thy  strength  is  most  of  might — if  thou  wilt 
listen  to  me,  in  Crisa  build  thy  fane  beneath 
a  glade  of  Parnassus.  There  neither  will 
goodly  chariots  ring,  nor  wilt  thou  be  vexed 
with  stamping  of  swift  steeds  about  thy  well- 
builded  altar,  but  none  the  less  shall  the 
renowned  tribes  of  men  bring  their  gifts  to 
lepaeon,  and  delighted  shalt  thou  gather  the 
sacrifices  of  them  who  dwell  around." 

Therewith  she  won  over  the  heart  of  the 
Far-darter,  even  that  to  Telphusa  herself 
should  be  honour  in  that  land,  and  not  to 
the  Far-darter. 

Thenceforward  didst  thou  fare,  far-darting 
Apollo,  and  earnest  to  the  city  of  the  over- 
weening Phlegyae,  that  reckless  of  Zeus  dwelt 
there  in  a  goodly  glade  by  the  Cephisian 
mere.  Thence  fleetly  didst  thou  speed  to 


282-301  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  119 

the  ridge  of  the  hills,  and  earnest  to  Crisa 
beneath  snowy  Parnassus,  to  a  knoll  that 
faced  westward,  but  above  it  hangs  a  cliff, 
and  a  hollow  dell  runs  under,  rough  with 
wood,  and  even  there  Prince  Phoebus  Apollo 
deemed  well  to  build  a  goodly  temple,  and 
spake,  saying :  "  Here  methinketh  to  stablish 
a  right  fair  temple,  to  be  a  place  oracular 
to  men,  that  shall  ever  bring  me  hither,  goodly 
hecatombs,  both  they  that  dwell  in  rich 
Peloponnesus,  and  they  of  the  mainland  and 
sea-girt  isles,  seeking  here  the  word  of  sooth  ; 
to  them  all  shall  I  speak  the  decree  unerring, 
rendering  oracles  within  my  wealthy  shrine." 

So  speaking,  Phoebus  Apollo  marked  out 
the  foundations,  right  long  and  wide,  and 
thereon  Trophonius  and  Agamedes  laid  the 
threshold  of  stone,  the  sons  of  Erginus,  dear 
to  the  deathless  Gods.  But  round  all  the 
countless  tribes  of  men  built  a  temple  with 
wrought  stones  to  be  famous  for  ever  in 
song. 

Hard  by  is  a  fair-flowing  stream,  and 
there,  with  an  arrow  from  his  strong  bow, 


120  HOMERIC  HYMNS  302-319 

did  the  Prince,  the  son  of  Zeus,  slay  the 
Dragoness,  mighty  and  huge,  a  wild  Etin, 
that  was  wont  to  wreak  many  woes  on 
earthly  men,  on  themselves,  and  their  straight- 
stepping  flocks,  so  dread  a  bane  was  she. 

[This  Dragoness  it  was  that  took  from 
golden-throned  Hera  and  reared  the  dread 
Typhaon,  not  to  be  dealt  with,  a  bane  to 
mortals.  Him  did  Hera  bear,  upon  a  time, 
in  wrath  with  father  Zeus,  whenas  Cronides 
brought  forth  from  his  head  renowned 
Athene.  Straightway  lady  Hera  was  angered, 
and  spake  among  the  assembled  Gods : 

"  Listen  to  me,  ye  Gods,  and  Goddesses 
all,  how  cloud-collecting  Zeus  is  first  to  begin 
the  dishonouring  of  me,  though  he  made  me 
his  wife  in  honour.  And  now,  apart  from 
me,  he  has  brought  forth  grey-eyed  Athene 
who  excels  among  all  the  blessed  Immortals. 
But  he  was  feeble  from  the  birth,  among 
all  the  Gods,  my  son  Hephaestos,  lame  and 
withered  of  foot,  whom  I  myself  lifted  in  my 
hands,  and  cast  into  the  wide  sea.  But  the 
daughter  of  Nereus,  Thetis  of  the  silver  feet, 


320-333  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  121 

received  him  and  nurtured  him  among  her 
sisters.  Would  that  she  had  done  other 
grace  to  the  blessed  Immortals  ! 

"Thou  evil  one  of  many  wiles,  what  other 
wile  devisest  thou  ?  How  hadst  thou  the  heart 
now  alone  to  bear  grey-eyed  Athene  ?  Could 
I  not  have  borne  her  ?  But  none  the  less 
would  she  have  been  called  thine  among 
the  Immortals,  who  hold  the  wide  heaven. 
Take  heed  now,  that  I  devise  not  for  thee 
some  evil  to  come.  Yea,  now  shall  I  use 
arts  whereby  a  child  of  mine  shall  be  born, 
excelling  among  the  immortal  Gods,  without 
dishonouring  thy  sacred  bed  or  mine,  for 
verily  to  thy  bed  I  will  not  come,  but  far 
from  thee  will  nurse  my  grudge  against  the 
Immortal  Gods." 

So  spake  she,  and  withdrew  from  among 
the  Gods  with  angered  heart.  Right  so  she 
made  her  prayer,  the  ox-eyed  lady  Hera, 
striking  the  earth  with  her  hand  flatlings,1 
and  spake  her  word  : 

1  This  action  was  practised  by  the  Zulus  in  divination,  and, 
curiously,  by  a  Highlander  of  the  last  century,  appealing  to  the 
dead  Lovat  not  to  see  him  wronged. 


122  HOMERIC  HYMNS  334-352 

"  Listen  to  me  now,  Earth,  and  wide 
Heavens  above,  and  ye  Gods  called  Titans, 
dwelling  beneath  earth  in  great  Tartarus,  ye 
from  whom  spring  Gods  and  men  !  List  to 
me  now,  all  of  you,  and  give  me  a  child 
apart  from  Zeus,  yet  nothing  inferior  to  him 
in  might,  nay,  stronger  than  he,  as  much  as 
far-seeing  Zeus  is  mightier  than  Cronus  !  " 

So  spake  she,  and  smote  the  ground  with 
her  firm  hand.  Then  Earth,  the  nurse  of 
life,  was  stirred,  and  Hera,  beholding  it,  was 
glad  at  heart,  for  she  deemed  that  her  prayer 
would  be  accomplished.  From  that  hour  for 
a  full  year  she  never  came  to  the  bed  of  wise 
Zeus,  nor  to  her  throne  adorned,  whereon 
she  was  wont  to  sit,  planning  deep  counsel, 
but  dwelling  in  her  temples,  the  homes  of 
Prayers,  she  took  joy  in  her  sacrifices,  the 
ox-eyed  lady  Hera. 

Now  when  her  months  and  days  were 
fulfilled,  the  year  revolving,  and  the  seasons 
in  their  course  coming  round,  she  bare  a 
birth  like  neither  Gods  nor  mortals,  the  dread 
Typhaon,  not  to  be  dealt  with,  a  bane  of  men. 


353-370  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  123 

Him  now  she  took,  the  ox-eyed  lady  Hera, 
and  carried  and  gave  to  the  Dragoness,  to 
bitter  nurse  a  bitter  fosterling,  who  received 
him,  that  ever  wrought  many  wrongs  among 
the  renowned  tribes  of  men.] 

Whosoever  met  the  Dragoness,  on  him 
would  she  bring  the  day  of  destiny,  before 
the  Prince,  far-darting  Apollo,  loosed  at  her 
the  destroying  shaft ;  then  writhing  in  strong 
anguish,  and  mightily  panting  she  lay,  roll- 
ing about  the  land.  Dread  and  dire  was  the 
din,  as  she  writhed  hither  and  thither  through 
the  wood,  and  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  Phoebus 
spoke  his  malison  : 

"There  do  thou  rot  upon  the  fruitful 
earth  ;  no  longer  shalt  thou,  at  least,  live  to 
be  the  evil  bane  of  mortals  that  eat  the  fruit 
of  the  fertile  soil,  and  hither  shall  bring  per- 
fect hecatombs.  Surely  from  thee  neither 
shall  Typhceus,  nay,  nor  Chimaera  of  the 
evil  name,  shield  death  that  layeth  low,  but 
here  shall  black  earth  and  bright  Hyperion 
make  thee  waste  away." 

So    he    spake    in    malison,    and    darkness 


124  HOMERIC  HYMNS  370-388 

veiled  her  eyes,  and  there  the  sacred  strength 
of  the  sun  did  waste  her  quite  away.  Whence 
now  the  place  is  named  Pytho,  and  men 
call  the  Prince  "  Pythian  "  for  that  deed,  for 
even  there  the  might  of  the  swift  sun  made 
corrupt  the  monster.1 

Then  Phoebus  Apollo  was  ware  in  his 
heart  that  the  fair-flowing  spring,  Telphusa, 
had  beguiled  him,  and  in  wrath  he  went  to 
her,  and  swiftly  came,  and  standing  close  by 
her,  spoke  his  word : 

"Telphusa,  thou  wert  not  destined  to  be- 
guile my  mind,  nor  keep  the  winsome  lands 
and  pour  forth  thy  fair  waters.  Nay,  here 
shall  my  honour  also  dwell,  not  thine  alone." 

So  he  spoke,  and  overset  a  rock,  with  a 
shower  of  stones,  and  hid  her  streams,  the 
Prince,  far-darting  Apollo.  And  he  made 
an  altar  in  a  grove  of  trees,  hard  by  the 
fair-flowing  stream,  where  all  men  name  him 
in  prayer,  "the  Prince  Telphusian,"  for  that 
he  shamed  the  streams  of  sacred  Telphusa. 

Then    Phoebus    Apollo    considered    in   his 

1  A  folk-etymology  from  trdOeiv  =  to  rot. 


389-408  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  125 

heart  what  men  he  should  bring  in  to  be 
his  ministers,  and  to  serve  him  in  rocky 
Pytho.  While  he  was  pondering  on  this, 
he  beheld  a  swift  ship  on  the  wine-dark  sea, 
and  aboard  her  many  men  and  good,  Cretans 
from  Minoan  Cnossus,  such  as  do  sacrifice 
to  the  God,  and  speak  the  doom  of  Phoebus 
Apollo  of  the  Golden  Sword,  what  word  so- 
ever he  utters  of  sooth  from  the  daphne  in 
the  dells  of  Parnassus.  For  barter  and 
wealth  they  were  sailing  in  the  black  ship 
to  sandy  Pylos,  and  the  Pylian  men.  Anon 
Phoebus  Apollo  set  forth  to  meet  them,  leap- 
ing into  the  sea  upon  the  swift  ship  in  the 
guise  of  a  dolphin,  and  there  he  lay,  a  portent 
great  and  terrible. 

[Of  the  crew,  whosoever  sought  in  heart 
to  comprehend  what  he  was  .  .  .  On  all 
sides  he  kept  swaying  to  and  fro,  and  shaking 
the  timbers  of  the  galley.]  But  all  they  sat 
silent  and  in  fear  aboard  the  ship,  nor  loosed 
the  sheets,  nor  the  sail  of  the  black-prowed 
galley  ;  nay,  even  as  they  had  first  set  the 
sails  so  they  voyaged  onward,  the  strong 


126  HOMERIC  HYMNS  409-428 

south-wind  speeding  on  the  vessel  from 
behind.  First  they  rounded  Malea,  and 
passed  the  Laconian  land  and  came  to 
Helos,  a  citadel  by  the  sea,  and  Taenarus,  the 
land  of  Helios,  that  is  the  joy  of  mortals, 
where  ever  feed  the  deep-fleeced  flocks  of 
Prince  Helios,  and  there  hath  he  his  glad 
demesne.  There  the  crew  thought  to  stay 
the  galley,  and  land  and  consider  of  the 
marvel,  and  see  whether  that  strange  thing  will 
abide  on  the  deck  of  the  hollow  ship  or  leap 
again  into  the  swell  of  the  fishes'  home. 
But  the  well-wrought  ship  did  not  obey  the 
rudder,  but  kept  ever  on  her  way  beyond 
rich  Peloponnesus,  Prince  Apollo  lightly 
guiding  it  by  the  gale.  So  accomplishing 
her  course  she  came  to  Arene,  and  pleasant 
Arguphea,  and  Thryon,  the  ford  of  Alpheius, 
and  well-builded  Aepu,  and  sandy  Pylos,  and 
the  Pylian  men,  and  ran  by  Crounoi,  and 
Chalcis,  and  Dyme,  and  holy  Elis,  where  the 
Epeians  bear  sway.  Then  rejoicing  in  the 
breeze  of  Zeus,  she  was  making  for  Pherae, 
when  to  them  out  of  the  clouds  showed 


428-445  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  127 

forth  the  steep  ridge  of  Ithaca,  and  Duli- 
chium,  and  Same,  and  wooded  Zacynthus. 
Anon  when  she  had  passed  beyond  all 
Peloponnesus,  there  straightway,  off  Crisa, 
appeared  the  wide  sound,  that  bounds  rich 
Peloponnesus.  Then  came  on  the  west 
wind,  clear  and  strong,  by  the  counsel  of 
Zeus,  blowing  hard  out  of  heaven,  that  the 
running  ship  might  swiftest  accomplish  her 
course  over  the  salt  water  of  the  sea. 

Backward  then  they  sailed  towards  the 
Dawn  and  the  sun,  and  the  Prince  was  their 
guide,  Apollo,  son  of  Zeus.  Then  came  they 
to  far-seen  Crisa,  the  land  of  vines,  into  the 
haven,  while  the  sea-faring  ship  beached  her- 
self on  the  shingle.  Then  from  the  ship  leaped 
the  Prince,  far-darting  Apollo,  like  a  star  at 
high  noon,  while  the  gledes  of  fire  flew  from 
him,  and  the  splendour  flashed  to  the  heavens. 
Into  his  inmost  Holy  Place  he  went  through 
the  precious  tripods,  and  in  the  midst  he 
kindled  a  flame  showering  forth  his  shafts, 
and  the  splendour  filled  all  Crisa,1  and  the 

1  A  similar  portent  is  of  recent  belief  in  Maori  tradition. 


128  HOMERIC  HYMNS  445-464 

wives  of  the  Crisaeans,  and  their  fair-girdled 
daughters  raised  a  wail  at  the  rushing  flight  of 
Phoebus,  for  great  fear  fell  upon  all.  Thence 
again  to  the  galley  he  set  forth  and  flew,  fleet 
as  a  thought,  in  shape  a  man  lusty  and  strong, 
in  his  first  youth,  his  locks  swathing  his  wide 
shoulders.  Anon  he  spake  to  the  seamen 
winged  words : 

"Strangers,  who  are  ye,  whence  sail  ye 
the  wet  ways  ?  Is  it  after  merchandise,  or 
do  ye  wander  at  adventure,  over  the  salt 
sea,  as  sea-robbers  use,  that  roam  staking 
their  own  lives,  and  bearing  bane  to  men 
of  strange  speech  ?  Why  sit  ye  thus  adread, 
not  faring  forth  on  the  land,  nor  slackening 
the  gear  of  your  black  ship  ?  Sure  this  is  the 
wont  of  toilsome  mariners,  when  they  come 
from  the  deep  to  the  land  in  their  black 
ship,  foredone  with  labour,  and  anon  a  long- 
ing for  sweet  food  seizes  their  hearts." 

So  spake  he,  and  put  courage  in  their 
breasts,  and  the  leader  of  the  Cretans  an- 
swered him,  saying  : 

"  Stranger,  behold  thou  art   no   whit   like 


465-482  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  129 


unto  mortal  men  in  shape  or  growth,  but 
art  a  peer  of  the  Immortals,  wherefore  all 
hail,  and  grace  be  thine,  and  all  good  things 
at  the  hands  of  the  Gods.  Tell  me  then 
truly  that  I  may  know  indeed,  what  people 
is  this,  what  land,  what  mortals  dwell  here  ? 
Surely  with  our  thoughts  set  on  another  goal 
we  sailed  the  great  sea  to  Pylos  from  Crete, 
whence  we  boast  our  lineage  ;  but  now  it 
is  hither  that  we  have  come,  maugre  our 
wills,  with  our  galley — another  path  and 
other  ways — we  longing  to  return,  but  some 
God  has  led  us  all  unwilling  to  this  place." 

Then  the  far -darting  Apollo  answered 
them  : 

"  Strangers,  who  dwelt  aforetime  round 
wooded  Cnossus,  never  again  shall  ye  return 
each  to  his  pleasant  city  and  his  own  house, 
and  his  wife,  but  here  shall  ye  hold  my 
rich  temple,  honoured  by  multitudes  of  men. 
Lo  !  I  am  the  son  of  Zeus,  and  name  myself 
Apollo,  and  hither  have  I  brought  you  over 
the  great  gulf  of  the  sea,  with  no  evil  intent. 
Nay,  here  shall  ye  possess  my  rich  temple, 


1 3o  HOMERIC  HYMNS  483-502 

held  highest  in  honour  among  all  men,  and 
ye  shall  know  the  counsels  of  the  Immortals, 
by  whose  will  ye  shall  ever  be  held  in 
renown.  But  now  come,  and  instantly  obey 
my  word.  First  lower  the  sails,  and  loose 
the  sheets,  and  then  beach  the  black  ship 
on  the  land,  taking  forth  the  wares  and  gear 
of  the  trim  galley,  and  build  ye  an  altar  on 
the  strand  of  the  sea.  Thereon  kindle  fire, 
and  sprinkle  above  in  sacrifice  the  white 
barley-flour,  and  thereafter  pray,  standing 
around  the  altar.  And  whereas  I  first,  in 
the  misty  sea,  sprang  aboard  the  swift  ship 
in  the  guise  of  a  dolphin,  therefore  pray  to 
me  as  Apollo  Delphinius,  while  mine  shall 
ever  be  the  Delphian  altar  seen  from  afar. 
Then  take  ye  supper  beside  the  swift  black 
ship,  and  pour  libations  to  the  blessed  Gods 
who  hold  Olympus.  But  when  ye  have  dis- 
missed the  desire  of  sweet  food  then  with  me 
do  ye  come,  singing  the  Paean,  till  ye  win 
that  place  where  ye  shall  possess  the  rich 
temple." 

So  spake  he,  while  they  heard  and  obeyed 


503-520  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  131 

eagerly.  First  they  lowered  the  sails,  loosing 
the  sheets,  and  lowering  the  mast  by  the 
forestays,  they  laid  it  in  the  mast-stead,  and 
themselves  went  forth  on  the  strand  of  the 
sea.  Then  forth  from  the  salt  sea  to  the 
mainland  they  dragged  the  fleet  ship  high 
up  on  the  sands,  laying  long  sleepers  there- 
under, and  they  builded  an  altar  on  the  sea- 
strand,  and  lit  fire  thereon,  scattering  above 
white  barley-flour  in  sacrifice,  and,  standing 
around  the  altar,  they  prayed  as  the  God 
commanded.  Anon  they  took  supper  beside 
the  fleet  black  ship,  and  poured  forth  libations 
to  the  blessed  Gods  who  hold  Olympus. 
But  when  they  had  dismissed  the  desire  of 
meat  and  drink  they  set  forth  on  their  way, 
and  the  Prince  Apollo  guided  them,  harp 
in  hand,  and  sweetly  he  harped,  faring  with 
high  and  goodly  strides.  Dancing  in  his 
train  the  Cretans  followed  to  Pytho,  and  the 
Paean  they  were  chanting,  the  paeans  of 
the  Cretans  in  whose  breasts  the  Muse  hath 
put  honey-sweet  song.  All  unwearied  they 
strode  to  the  hill,  and  swiftly  were  got  to 


132  HOMERIC  HYMNS  521-537 


Parnassus  and  a  winsome  land,  where  they 
were  to  dwell,  honoured  of  many  among 
men. 

Apollo  guided  them,  and  showed  his  holy 
shrine  and  rich  temple,  and  the  spirit  was 
moved  in  their  breasts,  and  the  captain  of 
the  Cretans  spake,  and  asked  the  God, 
saying : 

"  Prince,  since  thou  hast  led  us  far  from 
friends  and  our  own  country,  for  so  it  pleases 
thee,  how  now  shall  we  live,  we  pray  thee 
tell  us.  This  fair  land  bears  not  vines,  nor 
is  rich  in  meadows,  wherefrom  we  might  live 
well,  and  minister  to  men." 

Then,  smiling,  Apollo,  the  son  of  Zeus, 
spoke  to  them  : 

"  Foolish  ones,  enduring  hearts,  who  desire 
cares,  and  sore  toil,  and  all  straits !  A  light 
word  will  I  speak  to  you,  do  ye  consider  it. 
Let  each  one  of  you,  knife  in  right  hand, 
be  ever  slaughtering  sheep  that  in  abundance 
shall  ever  be  yours,  all  the  flocks  that  the 
renowned  tribes  of  men  bring  hither  to  me. 
Yours  it  is  to  guard  my  temple,  and  receive 


538-546  HYMN  TO  APOLLO  133 


the  tribes  of  men  that  gather  hither,  doing, 
above  all,  as  my  will  enjoins.  But  if  any 
vain  word  be  spoken,  or  vain  deed  wrought, 
or  violence  after  the  manner  of  mortal  men, 
then  shall  others  be  your  masters,  and  hold 
you  in  thraldom  for  ever.1  I  have  spoken 
all,  do  thou  keep  it  in  thy  heart." 

Even  so,  fare  thou  well,  son  of  Zeus  and 
Leto,  but  I  shall  remember  both  thee  and 
another  song. 

1  See  Essay  on  this  Hymn. 


II 

HERMES 

Hermes  sing,  O  Muse,  the  son  of 
Zeus  and  Maia,  Lord  of  Cyllene,  and 
Arcadia  rich  in  sheep,  the  fortune-bearing 
Herald  of  the  Gods,  him  whom  Maia  bore, 
the  fair-tressed  nymph,  that  lay  in  the  arms 
of  Zeus  ;  a  shamefaced  nymph  was  she, 
shunning  the  assembly  of  the  blessed  Gods, 
dwelling  within  a  shadowy  cave.  Therein 
was  Cronion  wont  to  embrace  the  fair-tressed 
nymph  in  the  deep  of  night,  when  sweet  sleep 
held  white-armed  Hera,  the  immortal  Gods 
knowing  it  not,  nor  mortal  men. 

But  when  the  mind  of  great  Zeus  was  fulfilled, 
and  over  her  the  tenth  moon  stood  in  the  sky, 
the  babe  was  born  to  light,  and  all  was  made 
manifest  ;  yea,  then  she  bore  a  child  of  many 
a  wile  and  cunning  counsel,  a  robber,  a  driver 


13-33  HERMES  135 

of  the  kine,  a  captain  of  raiders,  a  watcher  of 
the  night,  a  thief  of  the  gates,  who  soon  should 
show  forth  deeds  renowned  among  the  death- 
less Gods.  Born  in  the  dawn,  by  midday 
well  he  harped,  and  in  the  evening  stole  the 
cattle  of  Apollo  the  Far-darter,  on  that  fourth 
day  of  the  month  wherein  lady  Maia  bore 
him.  Who,  when  he  leaped  from  the  im- 
mortal knees  of  his  mother,  lay  not  long  in 
the  sacred  cradle,  but  sped  forth  to  seek  the 
cattle  of  Apollo,  crossing  the  threshold  of  the 
high-roofed  cave.  There  found  he  a  tortoise, 
and  won  endless  delight,  for  lo,  it  was  Hermes 
that  first  made  of  the  tortoise  a  minstrel. 
The  creature  met  him  at  the  outer  door,  as 
she  fed  on  the  rich  grass  in  front  of  the 
dwelling,  waddling  along,  at  sight  whereof 
the  luck-bringing  son  of  Zeus  laughed,  and 
straightway  spoke,  saying : 

"  Lo,  a  lucky  omen  for  me,  not  by  me  to 
be  mocked !  Hail,  darling  and  dancer,  friend 
of  the  feast,  welcome  art  thou  !  whence  gatst 
thou  the  gay  garment,  a  speckled  shell,  thou, 
a  mountain-dwelling  tortoise  ?  Nay,  I  will 


136  HOMERIC  HYMNS  33-52 

carry  thee  within,  and  a  boon  shalt  thou  be 
to  me,  not  by  me  to  be  scorned,  nay,  thou 
shalt  first  serve  my  turn.  Best  it  is  to  bide 
at  home,  since  danger  is  abroad.  Living 
shalt  thou  be  a  spell  against  ill  witchery,  and 
dead,  then  a  right  sweet  music-maker." 

So  spake  he,  and  raising  in  both  hands  the 
tortoise,  went  back  within  the  dwelling,  bear- 
ing the  glad  treasure.  Then  he  choked  the 
creature,  and  with  a  gouge  of  grey  iron  he 
scooped  out  the  marrow  of  the  hill  tortoise. 
And  as  a  swift  thought  wings  through  the 
breast  of  one  that  crowding  cares  are  haunt- 
ing, or  as  bright  glances  fleet  from  the  eyes, 
so  swiftly  devised  renowned  Hermes  both 
deed  and  word.  He  cut  to  measure  stalks 
of  reed,  and  fixed  them  in  through  holes 
bored  in  the  stony  shell  of  the  tortoise,  and 
cunningly  stretched  round  it  the  hide  of  an 
ox,  and  put  in  the  horns  of  the  lyre,  and  to 
both  he  fitted  the  bridge,  and  stretched  seven 
harmonious  chords  of  sheep-gut.1 

1  In  our  illustration  both  the  lyre  with  a  tortoise-shell  for 
sounding-board,  and  the  cithara,  with  no  such  sounding-board, 
are  represented.  Is  it  possible  that  "  the  tuneful  shell "  was 


HZRMts    MAKING    THE     LYRE. 

Bronze  relief  in  the   British  Museum. 

(  Tourth  Cent-irrv  B  C  ' 


52-66  HERMES  137 

Then  took  he^his  treasure,  when  he  had 
fashioned  it,  and  touched  the  strings  in  turn 
with  the  plectrum,  and  wondrously  it  sounded 
under  his  hand,  and  fair  sang  the  God  to  the 
notes,  improvising  his  chant  as  he  played,  like 
lads  exchanging  taunts  at  festivals.  Of  Zeus 
Cronides  and  fair-sandalled  Maia  he  sang  how 
they  had  lived  in  loving  dalliance,  and  he 
told  out  the  tale  of  his  begetting,  and  sang 
the  handmaids  and  the  goodly  halls  of  the 
Nymph,  and  the  tripods  in  the  house,  and 
the  store  of  cauldrons.  So  then  he  sang, 
but  dreamed  of  other  deeds ;  then  bore  he 
the  hollow  lyre  and  laid  it  in  the  sacred 
cradle,  then,  in  longing  for  flesh  of  kine 
he  sped  from  the  fragrant  hall  to  a  place 
of  outlook,  with  such  a  design  in  his  heart 

primarily  used  without  chords,  as  an  instrument  for  drumming 
upon?  The  drum,  variously  made,  is  the  primitive  musical 
instrument,  and  it  is  doubted  whether  any  stringed  instrument 
existed  among  native  American  races.  But  drawings  in  ancient 
Aztec  MSS.  (as  Mr.  Morse  has  recently  observed)  show  the 
musician  using  a  kind  of  drum  made  of  a  tortoise-shell,  and  some 
students  have  (probably  with  too  much  fancy)  recognised  a 
figure  with  a  tortoise-shell  fitted  with  chords,  in  Aztec  MSS. 
It  is  possible  enough  that  the  early  Greeks  used  the  shell  as  a 
sort  of  drum,  before  some  inventor  (Hermes,  in  the  Hymn) 
added  chords  and  developed  a  stringed  instrument.  Cf.  p.  39. 


138  HOMERIC  HYMNS  67-83 

as     reiving    men     pursue     in     the    dark    of 
night. 

The  sun  had  sunk  down  beneath  earth 
into  ocean,  with  horses  and  chariot,  when 
Hermes  came  running  to  the  shadowy  hills 
of  Pieria,  where  the  deathless  kine  of  the 
blessed  Gods  had  ever  their  haunt ;  there  fed 
they  on  the  fair  unshorn  meadows.  From 
their  number  did  the  keen-sighted  Argei- 
phontes,  son  of  Maia,  cut  off  fifty  loud- 
lowing  kine,  and  drove  them  hither  and 
thither  over  the  sandy  land,  reversing  their 
tracks,  and,  mindful  of  his  cunning,  confused 
the  hoof-marks,  the  front  behind,  the  hind 
in  front,  and  himself  fared  down  again. 
Straightway  he  wove  sandals  on  the  sea- 
sand  (things  undreamed  he  wrought,  works 
wonderful,  unspeakable)  mingling  myrtle 
twigs  and  tamarisk,  then  binding  together 
a  bundle  of  the  fresh  young  wood,  he 
shrewdly  fastened  it  for  light  sandals  beneath 
his  feet,  leaves  and  all,1 — brushwood  that  the 

1  Such  sandals  are  used  to  hide  their  tracks  by  Avengers 
of  Blood  among  the  tribes  of  Central  Australia. 


84-iQi  HERMES  139 

renowned  slayer  of  Argos  had  plucked  on 
his  way  from  Pieria  [being,  as  he  was,  in 
haste,  down  the  long  way]. 

Then  an  old  man  that  was  labouring  a 
fruitful  vineyard,  marked  the  God  faring 
down  to  the  plain  through  grassy  Onchestus, 
and  to  him  spoke  first  the  son  of  renowned 
Maia : 

"Old  man  that  bowest  thy  shoulders  over 
thy  hoeing,  verily  thou  shalt  have  wine  enough 
when  all  these  vines  are  bearing.  .  .  .  See 
thou,  and  see  not ;  hear  thou,  and  hear  not  ; 
be  silent,  so  long  as  naught  of  thine  is 
harmed." 

Therewith  he  drave  on  together  the  sturdy 
heads  of  cattle.  And  over  many  a  sha- 
dowy hill,  and  through  echoing  corries  and 
flowering  plains  drave  renowned  Hermes. 
Then  stayed  for  the  more  part  his  darkling 
ally,  the  sacred  Night,  and  swiftly  came 
morning  when  men  can  work,  and  sacred 
Selene,  daughter  of  Pallas,  mighty  prince, 
clomb  to  a  new  place  of  outlook,  and  then 
the  strong  son  of  Zeus  drave  the  broad- 


140  HOMERIC  HYMNS  102-118 

browed  kine  of  Phoebus  Apollo  to  the  river 
Alpheius.  Unwearied  they  came  to  the  high- 
roofed  stall  and  the  watering-places  in  front 
of  the  fair  meadow.  There,  when  he  had 
foddered  the  deep-voiced  kine,  he  herded 
them  huddled  together  into  the  byre,  munch- 
ing lotus  and  dewy  marsh  marigold  ;  next 
brought  he  much  wood,  and  set  himself  to 
the  craft  of  fire-kindling.  Taking  a  goodly 
shoot  of  the  daphne,  he  peeled  it  with  the 
knife,  fitting  it  to  his  hand,1  and  the  hot 
vapour  of  smoke  arose.  [Lo,  it  was  Hermes 
first  who  gave  fire,  and  the  fire-sticks.]  Then 
took  he  many  dry  faggots,  great  plenty,  and 
piled  them  in  the  trench,  and  flame  began  to 
break,  sending  far  the  breath  of  burning  fire. 
And  when  the  force  of  renowned  Hephaestus 
kept  the  fire  aflame,  then  downward  dragged 
he,  so  mighty  his  strength,  two  bellowing  kine 
of  twisted  horn  :  close  up  to  the  fire  he 
dragged  them,  and  cast  them  both  panting 
upon  their  backs  to  the  ground.  [Then 

1  This  piece  of  wood  is  that  in  which  the  other  is  twirled  to 
make  fire  by  friction. 


1 1 8- 1 37  HERMES  141 

bending  oveY  them  he  turned  them  upwards 
and  cut  their  throats].  .  .  task  upon  task,  and 
sliced  off  the  fat  meat,  pierced  it  with  spits 
of  wood,  and  broiled  it, — flesh,  and  chine, 
the  joint  of  honour,  and  blood  in  the  bowels, 
all  together  ; — then  laid  all  there  in  its  place. 
The  hides  he  stretched  out  on  a  broken  rock, 
as  even  now  they  are  used,  such  as  are  to 
be  enduring  :  long,  and  long  after  that  ancient 
day.1  Anon  glad  Hermes  dragged  the  fat 
portions  on  to  a  smooth  ledge,  and  cut  twelve 
messes  sorted  out  by  lot,  to  each  its  due  meed 
he  gave.  Then  a  longing  for  the  rite  of  the 
sacrifice  of  flesh  came  on  renowned  Hermes  : 
for  the  sweet  savour  irked  him,  immortal 
as  he  was,  but  not  even  so  did  his  strong 
heart  yield.2  .  .  .  The  fat  and  flesh  he  placed 
in  the  high-roofed  stall,  the  rest  he  swiftly 
raised  aloft,  a  trophy  of  his  reiving,  and, 
gathering  dry  faggots,  he  burned  heads  and 
feet  entire  with  the  vapour  of  flame.  Anon 

1  Otherwise  written  and  interpreted,  "  as  even  now  the  skins 
are  there,"  that  is,  are  exhibited  as  relics. 

2  "  Der  Zweite  Halbvers  is  mir  absolut  unverstandlich  !  " — 
Gemoll. 


142  HOMERIC  HYMNS  137-156 

when  the  God  had  duly  finished  all,  he 
cast  his  sandals  into  the  deep  swirling  pool 
of  Alpheius,  quenched  the  embers,  and  all 
night  long  spread  smooth  the  black  dust : 
Selene  lighting  him  with  her  lovely  light. 
Back  to  the  crests  of  Cyllene  came  the  God 
at  dawn,  nor  blessed  God,  on  that  long  way, 
nor  mortal  man  encountered  him  ;  nay,  and 
no  dog  barked.  Then  Hermes,  son  of  Zeus, 
bearer  of  boon,  bowed  his  head,  and  entered 
the  hall  through  the  hole  of  the  bolt,  like 
mist  on  the  breath  of  autumn.  Then,  stand- 
ing erect,  he  sped  to  the  rich  inmost  chamber 
of  the  cave,  lightly  treading  noiseless  on  the 
floor.  Quickly  to  his  cradle  came  glorious 
Hermes  and  wrapped  the  swaddling  bands 
about  his  shoulders,  like  a  witless  babe, 
playing  with  the  wrapper  about  his  knees. 
So  lay  he,  guarding  his  dear  lyre  at  his 
left  hand.  But  his  Goddess  mother  the  God 
did  not  deceive  ;  she  spake,  saying  : 

"Wherefore,  thou  cunning  one,  and 
whence  comest  thou  in  the  night,  thou  clad 
in  shamelessness  ?  Anon,  methinks,  thou 


156-177  HERMES  143 

wilt  go  forth  at  Apollo's  hands  with  bonds 
about  thy  sides  that  may  not  be  broken, 
sooner  than  be  a  robber  in  the  glens.  Go 
to,  wretch,  thy  Father  begat  thee  for  a  trouble 
to  deathless  Gods  and  mortal  men." 

But  Hermes  answered  her  with  words  of 
guile:  "  Mother  mine,  why  wouldst  thou  scare 
me  so,  as  though  I  were  a  redeless  child, 
with  little  craft  in  his  heart,  a  trembling 
babe  that  dreads  his  mother's  chidings  ? 
Nay,  but  I  will  essay  the  wiliest  craft  to 
feed  thee  and  me  for  ever.  We  twain  are 
not  to  endure  to  abide  here,  of  all  the  death- 
less Gods  alone  unapproached  with  sacrifice 
and  prayer,  as  thou  commandest.  Better 
it  is  eternally  to  be  conversant  with  Im- 
mortals, richly,  nobly,  well  seen  in  wealth 
of  grain,  than  to  be  homekeepers  in  a 
darkling  cave.  And  for  honour,  I  too  will 
have  my  dues  of  sacrifice,  even  as  Apollo. 
Even  if  my  Father  give  it  me  not  I  will 
endeavour,  for  I  am  of  avail,  to  be  a  captain 
of  reivers.  And  if  the  son  of  renowned 
Leto  make  inquest  for  me,  methinks  some 


144  HOMERIC  HYMNS  177-194 

worse  thing  will  befall  him.  For  to  Pytho 
I  will  go,  to  break  into  his  great  house, 
whence  I  shall  sack  goodly  tripods  and 
cauldrons  enough,  and  gold,  and  gleaming 
iron,  and  much  raiment.  Thyself,  if  thou 
hast  a  mind,  shalt  see  it." 

So  held  they  converse  one  with  another, 
the  son  of  Zeus  of  the  ^Egis,  and  Lady  Maia. 
Then  Morning  the  Daughter  of  Dawn  was 
arising  from  the  deep  stream  of  Oceanus, 
bearing  light  to  mortals,  what  time  Apollo 
came  to  Onchestus  in  his  journeying,  the 
gracious  grove,  a  holy  place  of  the  loud 
Girdler  of  the  Earth  :  there  he  found  an 
old  man  grazing  his  ox,  the  stay  of  his  vine- 
yard, on  the  roadside.1  Him  first  bespoke 
the  son  of  renowned  Leto. 

"  Old  man,  hedger  of  grassy  Onchestus  ; 
hither  am  I  come  seeking  cattle  from  Pieria, 
all  the  crook-horned  kine  out  of  my  herd  : 
my  black  bull  was  wont  to  graze  apart 
from  the  rest,  and  my  four  bright-eyed 

1  This  is  not  likely  to  be  the  sense,  but  sense  the  text  gives 
none.     Allen,  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  xvii.  n. 


195-213  HERMES  145 

hounds  followed,  four  of  them,  wise  as  men 
and  all  of  one  mind.  These  were  left,  the 
hounds  and  the  bull,  a  marvel  ;  but  the  kine 
wandered  away  from  their  soft  meadow  and 
sweet  pasture,  at  the  going  down  of  the  sun. 
Tell  me,  thou  old  man  of  ancient  days,  if 
thou  hast  seen  any  man  faring  after  these 
cattle  ?  " 

Then  to  him  the  old  man  spake  and 
answered : 

"  My  friend,  hard  it  were  to  tell  all  that 
a  man  may  see  :  for  many  wayfarers  go  by, 
some  full  of  ill  intent,  and  some  of  good : 
and  it  is  difficult  to  be  certain  regarding  each. 
Nevertheless,  the  whole  day  long  till  sunset 
I  was  digging  about  my  vineyard  plot,  and 
methought  I  marked — but  I  know  not  surely 
— a  child  that  went  after  the  horned  kine  ; 
right  young  he  was,  and  held  a  staff,  and 
kept  going  from  side  to  side,  and  backwards 
he  drove  the  kine,  their  faces  fronting  him." 

So  spake  the  old  man,  but  Apollo  heard, 
and  went  fleeter  on  his  path.  Then  marked 
he  a  bird  long  of  wing,  and  anon  he  knew 


146  HOMERIC  HYMNS  213-232 

that  the  thief  had  been  the  son  of  Zeus 
Cronion.  Swiftly  sped  the  Prince,  Apollo, 
son  of  Zeus,  to  goodly  Pylos,  seeking  the 
shambling  kine,  while  his  broad  shoulders 
were  swathed  in  purple  cloud.  Then 
the  Far  -  darter  marked  the  tracks,  and 
spake  : 

"  Verily,  a  great  marvel  mine  eyes  behold  ! 
These  be  the  tracks  of  high-horned  kine, 
but  all  are  turned  back  to  the  meadow  of 
asphodel.  But  these  are  not  the  footsteps 
of  a  man,  nay,  nor  of  a  woman,  nor  of  grey 
wolves,  nor  bears,  nor  lions,  nor,  methinks, 
of  a  shaggy-maned  Centaur,  whosoever  with 
fleet  feet  makes  such  mighty  strides  !  Dread 
to  see  they  are  that  backwards  go,  more 
dread  they  that  go  forwards." 

So  speaking,  the  Prince  sped  on,  Apollo, 
son  of  Zeus.  To  the  Cyllenian  hill  he  came, 
that  is  clad  in  forests,  to  the  deep  shadow  of 
the  hollow  rock,  where  the  deathless  nymph 
brought  forth  the  child  of  Zeus  Cronion.  A 
fragrance  sweet  was  spread  about  the  goodly 
hill,  and  many  tall  sheep  were  grazing  the 


233-252  HERMES  147 

grass.  Thence  he  went  fleetly  over  the  stone 
threshold  into  the  dusky  cave,  even  Apollo, 
the  Far-darter. 

Now  when  the  son  of  Zeus  and  Maia 
beheld  Apollo  thus  in  wrath  for  his  kine, 
he  sank  down  within  his  fragrant  swaddling 
bands,  being  covered  as  piled  embers  of 
burnt  tree-roots  are  covered  by  thick  ashes, 
so  Hermes  coiled  himself  up,  when  he  saw 
the  Far  -  darter  ;  and  curled  himself,  feet, 
head,  and  hands,  into  small  space  [sum- 
moning sweet  sleep],  though  of  a  verity 
wide  awake,  and  his  tortoise-shell  he  kept 
beneath  his  armpit.  But  the  son  of  Zeus 
and  Leto  marked  them  well,  the  lovely 
mountain  nymph  and  her  dear  son,  a  little 
babe,  all  wrapped  in  cunning  wiles.  Gazing 
round  all  the  chamber  of  the  vasty  dwell- 
ing, Apollo  opened  three  aumbries  with  the 
shining  key  ;  full  were  they  of  nectar  and 
glad  ambrosia,  and  much  gold  and  silver  lay 
within,  and  much  raiment  of  the  Nymph, 
purple  and  glistering,  such  as  are  within  the 
dwellings  of  the  mighty  Gods.  Anon,  when 


148  HOMERIC  HYMNS  252-270 

he  had  searched  out  the  chambers  of  the 
great  hall,  the  son  of  Leto  spake  to  renowned 
Hermes  : 

"  Child,  in  the  cradle  lying,  tell  me  straight- 
way of  my  kine  :  or  speedily  between  us 
twain  will  be  unseemly  strife.  For  I  will 
seize  thee  and  cast  thee  into  murky  Tartarus, 
into  the  darkness  of  doom  where  none  is  of 
avail.  Nor  shall  thy  father  or  mother  redeem 
thee  to  the  light :  nay,  under  earth  shalt  thou 
roam,  a  reiver  among  folk  fordone." 

Then  Hermes  answered  with  words  of 
craft :  "Apollo,  what  ungentle  word  hast  thou 
spoken  ?  And  is  it  thy  cattle  of  the  home- 
stead thou  comest  here  to  seek  ?  I  saw  them 
not,  heard  not  of  them,  gave  ear  to  no  word 
of  them  :  of  them  I  can  tell  no  tidings,  nor 
win  the  fee  of  him  who  tells.  Not  like  a 
lifter  of  cattle,  a  stalwart  man,  am  I  :  no  task 
is  this  of  mine  :  hitherto  I  have  other  cares  ; 
sleep,  and  mother's  milk,  and  about  my 
shoulders  swaddling  bands,  and  warmed 
baths.  Let  none  know  whence  this  feud 
arose  !  And  verily  great  marvel  among  the 


270-289  HERMES  149 

Immortals  it  would  be,  that  a  new-born  child 
should  cross  the  threshold  after  kine  of  the 
homestead  ;  a  silly  rede  of  thine.  Yesterday 
was  I  born,  my  feet  are  tender,  and  rough 
is  the  earth  below.  But  if  thou  wilt  I  shall 
swear  the  great  oath  by  my  father's  head, 
that  neither  I  myself  am  to  blame,  nor 
have  I  seen  any  other  thief  of  thy  kine  : 
be  kine  what  they  may,  for  I  know  but  by 
hearsay." 

So  spake  he  with  twinkling  eyes,  and 
twisted  brows,  glancing  hither  and  thither, 
with  long-drawn  whistling  breath,  hearing 
Apollo's  word  as  a  vain  thing.  Then  lightly 
laughing  spake  Apollo  the  Far-darter  : 

"  Oh,  thou  rogue,  thou  crafty  one  ;  verily 
methinks  that  many  a  time  thou  wilt  break 
into  stablished  homes,  and  by  night  leave 
many  a  man  bare,  silently  pilling  through 
his  house,  such  is  thy  speech  to-day  !  And 
many  herdsmen  of  the  steadings  wilt  thou 
vex  in  the  mountain  glens,  when  in  lust  for 
flesh  thou  comest  on  the  herds  and  sheep 
thick  of  fleece.  Nay  come,  lest  thou  sleep 


150  HOMERIC  HYMNS  289-308 


the  last  and  longest  slumber,  come  forth 
from  thy  cradle,  thou  companion  of  black 
night !  For  surely  this  honour  hereafter  thou 
shalt  have  among  the  Immortals,  to  be  called 
for  ever  the  captain  of  reivers." 

So  spake  Phcebus  Apollo,  and  lifted  the 
child,  but  even  then  strong  Argus-bane  had 
his  device,  and,  in  the  hands  of  the  God, 
let  forth  an  Omen,  an  evil  belly-tenant,  with 
tidings  of  worse,  and  a  speedy  sneeze  there- 
after. Apollo  heard,  and  dropped  renowned 
Hermes  on  the  ground,  then  sat  down  before 
him,  eager  as  he  was  to  be  gone,  chiding 
Hermes,  and  thus  he  spoke  : 

"Take  heart,  swaddling  one,  child  of  Zeus 
and  Maia.  By  these  thine  Omens  shall  I 
find  anon  the  sturdy  kine,  and  thou  shalt 
lead  the  way." 

So  spake  he,  but  swiftly  arose  Cyllenian 
Hermes,  and  swiftly  fared,  pulling  about 
his  ears  his  swaddling  bands  that  were  his 
shoulder  wrapping.  Then  spake  he  : 

"Whither  bearest  thou  me,  Far-darker,  of 
Gods  most  vehement  ?  Is  it  for  wrath  about 


308-328  HERMES  151 

thy  kine  that  thou  thus  provokest  me  ?  Would 
that  the  race  of  kine  might  perish,  for  thy 
cattle  have  I  not  stolen,  nor  seen  another 
steal,  whatsoever  kine  may  be  ;  I  know  but 
by  hearsay,  I  !  But  let  our  suit  be  judged 
before  Zeus  Cronion." 

Now  were  lone  Hermes  and  the  splendid 
son  of  Leto  point  by  point  disputing  their 
pleas,  Apollo  with  sure  knowledge  was  right- 
eously seeking  to  convict  renowned  Hermes 
for  the  sake  of  his  kine,  but  he  with  craft 
and  cunning  words  sought  to  beguile, — the 
Cyllenian  to  beguile  the  God  of  the  Silver 
Bow.  But  when  the  wily  one  found  one  as 
wily,  then  speedily  he  strode  forward  through 
the  sand  in  front,  while  behind  came  the  son 
of  Zeus  and  Leto.  Swiftly  they  came  to 
the  crests  of  fragrant  Olympus,  to  father  Cro- 
nion they  came,  these  goodly  sons  of  Zeus, 
for  there  were  set  for  them  the  balances  of 
doom.  Quiet  was  snowy  Olympus,  but  they 
who  know  not  decay  or  death  were  gather- 
ing after  gold-throned  Dawn.  Then  stood 
Hermes  and  Apollo  of  the  Silver  Bow  before 


152  HOMERIC  HYMNS  329-348 

the  knees  of  Zeus,  the  Thunderer,  who  in- 
quired of  his  glorious  Son,  saying  : 

"  Phoebus,  whence  drivest  thou  such  mighty 
spoil,  a  new-born  babe  like  a  Herald  ?  A 
mighty  matter  this,  to  come  before  the  gather- 
ing of  the  Gods  !  " 

Then  answered  him  the  Prince,  Apollo  the 
Far-darter  : 

"  Father,  anon  shalt  thou  hear  no  empty 
tale  ;  tauntest  thou  me,  as  though  I  were 
the  only  lover  of  booty  ?  This  boy  have 
I  found,  a  finished  reiver,  in  the  hills  of 
Cyllene,  a  long  way  to  wander  ;  so  fine  a 
knave  as  I  know  not  among  Gods  or  men, 
of  all  robbers  on  earth.  My  kine  he  stole 
from  the  meadows,  and  went  driving  them  at 
eventide  along  the  loud  sea  shores,  straight 
to  Pylos.  Wondrous  were  the  tracks,  a 
thing  to  marvel  on,  work  of  a  glorious  god. 
For  the  black  dust  showed  the  tracks  of 
the  kine  making  backward  to  the  mead  of 
asphodel  ;  but  this  child  intractable  fared 
neither  on  hands  nor  feet,  through  the  sandy 
land,  but  this  other  strange  craft  had  he, 


349-368  HERMES  153 

to  tread  the  paths  as  if  shod  on  with  oaken 
shoots.1  While  he  drove  the  kine  through 
a  land  of  sand,  right  plain  to  discern  were 
all  the  tracks  in  the  dust,  but  when  he  had 
crossed  the  great  tract  of  sand,  straightway 
on  hard  ground  his  traces  and  those  of  the 
kine  were  ill  to  discern.  But  a  mortal  man 
beheld  him,  driving  straight  to  Pylos  the 
cattle  broad  of  brow.  Now  when  he  had 
stalled  the  kine  in  quiet,  and  confused  his 
tracks  on  either  side  the  way,  he  lay  dark  as 
night  in  his  cradle,  in  the  dusk  of  a  shadowy 
cave.  The  keenest  eagle  could  not  have  spied 
him,  and  much  he  rubbed  his  eyes,  with 
crafty  purpose,  and  bluntly  spake  his  word  : 

"  I  saw  not,  I  heard  not  aught,  nor  learned 
another's  tale  ;  nor  tidings  could  I  give,  nor 
win  reward  of  tidings." 

Therewith  Phoebus  Apollo  sat  him  down, 
but  another  tale  did  Hermes  tell,  among  the 
Immortals,  addressing  Cronion,  the  master  of 
all  Gods : 

"Father  Zeus,  verily  the  truth  will  I  tell 

1  "As  if  one  walked  with  trees  instead  of  feet." — Allen. 


154  HOMERIC  HYMNS  369-388 

thee  :  for  true  am  I,  nor  know  the  way  of 
falsehood.  To-day  at  sunrise  came  Apollo  to 
our  house,  seeking  his  shambling  kine.  No 
witnesses  of  the  Gods  brought  he,  nor  no 
Gods  who  had  seen  the  fact.  But  he  bade 
me  declare  the  thing  under  duress,  threaten- 
ing oft  to  cast  me  into  wide  Tartarus,  for  he 
wears  the  tender  flower  of  glorious  youth, 
but  I  was  born  but  yesterday,  as  well  him- 
self doth  know,  and  in  naught  am  I  like 
a  stalwart  lifter  of  kine.  Believe,  for  thou 
givest  thyself  out  to  be  my  father,  that  may 
I  never  be  well  if  I  drove  home  the  kine, 
nay,  or  crossed  the  threshold.  This  I  say 
for  sooth !  The  Sun  I  greatly  revere,  and 
other  gods,  and  Thee  I  love,  and  him  I  dread. 
Nay,  thyself  knowest  that  I  am  not  to  blame  ; 
and  thereto  I  will  add  a  great  oath  :  by  these 
fair-wrought  porches  of  the  Gods  I  am  guilt- 
less, and  one  day  yet  I  shall  avenge  me  on 
him  for  this  pitiless  accusation,  mighty  as  he 
is  ;  but  do  thou  aid  the  younger  ! " 

So     spake     Cyllenian     Argus -bane,     and 
winked,  with  his   wrapping  on    his  arm  :   he 


389-407  HERMES  155 

did  not  cast  it  down.  But  Zeus  laughed 
aloud  at  the  sight  of  his  evil-witted  child, 
so  well  and  wittily  he  pled  denial  about  the 
kine.  Then  bade  he  them  both  be  of  one 
mind,  and  so  seek  the  cattle,  with  Hermes 
as  guide  to  lead  the  way,  and  show  without 
guile  where  he  had  hidden  the  sturdy  kine. 
The  Son  of  Cronos  nodded,  and  glorious 
Hermes  obeyed,  for  lightly  persuadeth  the 
counsel  of  Zeus  of  the  JEgis. 

Then  sped  both  of  them,  the  fair  children 
of  Zeus,  to  sandy  Pylos,  at  the  ford  of 
Alpheius,  and  to  the  fields  they  came,  and 
the  stall  of  lofty  roof,  where  the  booty  was 
tended  in  the  season  of  darkness.  There 
anon  Hermes  went  to  the  side  of  the 
rocky  cave,  and  began  driving  the  sturdy 
cattle  into  the  light.  But  the  son  of  Leto, 
glancing  aside,  saw  the  flayed  skins  on  the 
high  rock,  and  quickly  asked  renowned 
Hermes  : 

"  How  wert  thou  of  avail,  oh  crafty  one, 
to  flay  two  kine  ;  new-born  and  childish  as 
thou  art  ?  For  time  to  come  I  dread  thy 


156  HOMERIC  HYMNS  407-427 

might :  no  need  for  thee  to  be  growing  long, 
thou  son  of  Maia  ! "  l 

[So  spake  he,  and  round  his  hands  twisted 
strong  bands  of  withes,  but  they  at  his  feet 
were  soon  intertwined,  each  with  other,  and 
lightly  were  they  woven  over  all  the  kine  of 
the  field,  by  the  counsel  of  thievish  Hermes, 
but  Apollo  marvelled  at  that  he  saw.] 

Then  the  strong  Argus-bane  with  twinkling 
glances  looked  down  at  the  ground,  wishful 
to  hide  his  purpose.  But  that  harsh  son 
of  renowned  Leto,  the  Far-darter,  did  he 
lightly  soothe  to  his  will ;  taking  his  lyre  in 
his  left  hand  he  tuned  it  with  the  plectrum : 
and  wondrously  it  rang  beneath  his  hand. 
Thereat  Phoebus  Apollo  laughed  and  was  glad, 
and  the  winsome  note  passed  through  to  his 
very  soul  as  he  heard.  Then  Maia's  son  took 
courage,  and  sweetly  harping  with  his  harp 
he  stood  at  Apollo's  left  side,  playing  his  pre- 
lude, and  thereon  followed  his  winsome  voice. 

i  The  passage  which  follows  (409-414)  is  too  corrupt  to 
admit  of  any  but  conjectural  rendering.  Probably  Apollo  twisted 
bands,  which  fell  off  Hermes,  turned  to  growing  willows,  and 
made  a  bower  over  the  kine.  See  Mr.  Allen,  op.  cit. 


427-443  HERMES  157 

* 

He  sang  the  renowns  of  the  deathless  Gods, 
and  the  dark  Earth,  how  all  things  were  at 
the  first,  and  how  each  God  gat  his  portion. 

To  Mnemosyne  first  of  Gods  he  gave  the 
meed  of  minstrelsy,  to  the  Mother  of  the 
Muses,  for  the  Muse  came  upon  the  Son 
of  Maia. 

Then  all  the  rest  of  the  Immortals,  in 
order  of  rank  and  birth,  did  he  honour,  the 
splendid  son  of  Zeus,  telling  duly  all  the 
tale,  as  he  struck  the  lyre  on  his  arm.  But 
on  Apollo's  heart  in  his  breast  came  the 
stress  of  desire,  who  spake  to  him  winged 
words : 

"  Thou  crafty  slayer  of  kine,  thou  com- 
rade of  the  feast  ;  thy  song  is  worth  the 
price  of  fifty  oxen !  Henceforth,  methinks, 
shall  we  be  peacefully  made  at  one.  But, 
come  now,  tell  me  this,  thou  wily  Son  of 
Maia,  have  these  marvels  been  with  thee  even 
since  thy  birth,  or  is  it  that  some  immortal, 
or  some  mortal  man,  has  given  thee  the 
glorious  gift  and  shown  thee  song  divine  ? 
For  marvellous  is  this  new  song  in  mine  ears, 


158  HOMERIC  HYMNS  4 44-464 


such  as,  methinks,  none  hath  known,  either  of 
men,  or  of  Immortals  who  have  mansions  in 
Olympus,  save  thyself,  thou  reiver,  thou  Son 
of  Zeus  and  Maia  !  What  art  is  this,  what 
charm  against  the  stress  of  cares  ?  What  a 
path  of  song  !  for  verily  here  is  choice  of  all 
three  things,  joy,  and  love,  and  sweet  sleep. 
For  truly  though  I  be  conversant  with  the 
Olympian  Muses,  to  whom  dances  are  a 
charge,  and  the  bright  minstrel  hymn,  and 
rich  song,  and  the  lovesome  sound  of  flutes, 
yet  never  yet  hath  aught  else  been  so  dear  to 
my  heart,  dear  as  the  skill  in  the  festivals 
of  the  Gods.  I  marvel,  Son  of  Zeus,  at  this, 
the  music  of  thy  minstrelsy.  But  now  since, 
despite  thy  youth,  thou  hast  such  glorious 
skill,  to  thee  and  to  thy  Mother  I  speak  this 
word  of  sooth  :  verily,  by  this  shaft  of  cor- 
nel wood,  I  shall  lead  thee  renowned  and  for- 
tunate among  the  Immortals,  and  give  thee 
glorious  gifts,  nor  in  the  end  deceive  thee." 

Then  Hermes  answered  him  with  cunning 
words : 

"Shrewdly  thou  questionest  me,  Far-darter, 


465-484  HERMES  159 

nor  do  I  grudge  thee  to  enter  upon  mine  art. 
This  day  shalt  thou  know  it :  and  to  thee 
would  I  fain  be  kind  in  word  and  will :  but 
within  thyself  thou  well  knowest  all  things, 
for  first  among  the  Immortals,  Son  of  Zeus, 
is  thy  place.  Mighty  art  thou  and  strong, 
and  Zeus  of  wise  counsels  loves  thee  well 
with  reverence  due,  and  hath  given  thee 
honour  and  goodly  gifts.  Nay,  they  tell  that 
thou  knowest  soothsaying,  Far-darter,  by  the 
voice  of  Zeus  :  for  from  Zeus  are  all  oracles, 
wherein  I  myself  now  know  thee  to  be  all- 
wise.  Thy  province  it  is  to  know  what  so 
thou  wilt.  Since,  then,  thy  heart  bids  thee 
play  the  lyre,  harp  thou  and  sing,  and  let 
joys  be  thy  care,  taking  this  gift  from  me  ; 
and  to  me,  friend,  gain  glory.  Sweetly  sing 
with  my  shrill  comrade  in  thy  hands,  that 
knoweth  speech  good  and  fair  and  in  order 
due.  Freely  do  thou  bear  it  hereafter  into 
the  glad  feast,  and  the  winsome  dance,  and 
the  glorious  revel,  a  joy  by  night  and  day. 
Whatsoever  skilled  hand  shall  inquire  of  it 
artfully  and  wisely,  surely  its  voice  shall  teach 


160  HOMERIC  HYMNS  488-503 

him  all  things  joyous,  being  easily  played  by 
gentle  practice,  fleeing  dull  toil.  But  if  an 
unskilled  hand  first  impetuously  inquires  of 
it,  vain  and  discordant  shall  the  false  notes 
sound.  But  thine  it  is  of  nature  to  know 
what  things  thou  wilt :  so  to  thee  will  I  give 
this  lyre,  thou  glorious  son  of  Zeus.  But  we 
for  our  part  will  let  graze  thy  cattle  of  the 
field  on  the  pastures  of  hill  and  plain,  thou 
Far-darter.  So  shall  the  kine,  consorting 
with  the  bulls,  bring  forth  calves  male  and 
female,  great  store,  and  no  need  there  is  that 
thou,  wise  as  thou  art,  should  be  vehement 
in  anger." 

So  spake  he,  and  held  forth  the  lyre  that 
Phoebus  Apollo  took,  and  pledged  his  shining 
whip  in  the  hands  of  Hermes,  and  set  him 
over  the  herds.  Gladly  the  son  of  Maia 
received  it  ;  while  the  glorious  son  of  Leto, 
Apollo,  the  Prince,  the  Far-darter,  held  the 
lyre  in  his  left  hand,  and  tuned  it  orderly  with 
the  plectrum.  Sweetly  it  sounded  to  his  hand, 
and  fair  thereto  was  the  song  of  the  God. 

Thence  anon  the  twain  turned  the  kine  to 


503-522  HERMES  161 

the  rich  meadow,  but  themselves,  the  glorious 
children  of  Zeus,  hastened  back  to  snow-clad 
Olympus,  rejoicing  in  the  lyre  :  ay,  and  Zeus, 
the  counsellor,  was  glad  of  it.  [Both  did  he 
make  one  in  love,  and  Hermes  loved  Leto's 
son  constantly,  even  as  now,  since  when  in 
knowledge  of  his  love  he  pledged  to  the  Far- 
darter  the  winsome  lyre,  who  held  it  on 
his  arm  and  played  thereon.]  But  Hermes 
withal  invented  the  skill  of  a  new  art,  the 
far-heard  music  of  the  reed  pipes. 

Then  spake  the  son  of  Leto  to  Hermes 
thus  : 

"  I  fear  me,  Son  of  Maia,  thou  leader,  thou 
crafty  one,  lest  thou  steal  from  me  both  my 
lyre  and  my  bent  bow.  For  this  meed  thou 
hast  from  Zeus,  to  establish  the  ways  of  barter 
among  men  on  the  fruitful  earth.  Where- 
fore would  that  thou  shouldst  endure  to 
swear  me  the  great  oath  of  the  Gods,  with  a 
nod  of  the  head  or  by  the  showering  waters 
of  Styx,  that  thy  doings  shall  ever  to  my 
heart  be  kind  and  dear." 

Then,  with  a  nod  of  his  head,  did  Maia's 


1 62  HOMERIC  HYMNS  522-534 

son  vow  that  never  would  he  steal  the  posses- 
sions of  the  Far-darter,  nor  draw  nigh  his 
strong  dwelling.  And  Leto's  son  made  vow 
and  band  of  love  and  alliance,  that  none  other 
among  the  Gods  should  be  dearer  of  Gods 
or  men  the  seed  of  Zeus.  [And  I  shall 
make,  with  thee,  a  perfect  token  of  a  Cove- 
nant of  all  Gods  and  all  men,  loyal  to  my 
heart  and  honoured.] 1  "  Thereafter  shall 
I  give  thee  a  fair  wand  of  wealth  and  fortune, 
a  golden  wand,  three-pointed,  which  shall 
guard  thee  harmless,  accomplishing  all  things 
good  of  word  and  deed  that  it  is  mine  to 
learn  from  the  voice  of  Zeus.2  But  as 
touching  the  art  prophetic,  oh  best  of  fos- 
terlings of  Zeus,  concerning  which  thou  in- 
quirest,  for  thee  it  is  not  fit  to  learn  that 

1  This  passage  is  a  playing  field  of  conjecture ;  some  taking 
ffijfj.po\ov  =  Mediator,    or    Go  -  between  :    some    as  =  pactum, 
"  covenant." 

2  There  seems  to  be  a  reference  to  the  caduceus  of  Hermes, 
which  some  have  compared  to  the  forked  Divining  Rod.     The 
whole  is  corrupt  and  obscure.     To  myself  it  seems  that,  when 
he  gave  the  lyre  (463-495),  Hermes  was  hinting  at  his  wish 
to  receive   in   exchange   the  gift   of  prophecy.     If  so,   these 
passages  are  all  disjointed,  and  52Ii  with  what  follows,  should 
come  after  495,  where  Hermes  makes  the  gift  of  the  lyre. 


535-554  HERMES  163 

art,  nay,  nor  for  any  other  Immortal.  That 
lies  in  the  mind  of  Zeus  alone.  Myself  did 
make  pledge,  and  promise,  and  strong  oath, 
that,  save  me,  none  other  of  the  eternal 
Gods  should  know  the  secret  counsel  of 
Zeus.  And  thou,  my  brother  of  the  Golden 
Wand,  bid  me  not  tell  thee  what  awful  pur- 
poses is  planning  the  far-seeing  Zeus. 

"  One  mortal  shall  I  harm,  and  another  shall 
I  bless,  with  many  a  turn  of  fortune  among 
hapless  men.  Of  mine  oracle  shall  he  have 
profit  whosoever  comes  in  the  wake  of  wings 
and  voice  of  birds  of  omen  :  he  shall  have 
profit  of  mine  oracle  :  him  I  will  not  deceive. 
But  whoso,  trusting  birds  not  ominous,  ap- 
proaches mine  oracle,  to  inquire  beyond  my 
will,  and  know  more  than  the  eternal  Gods, 
shall  come,  I  say,  on  a  bootless  journey,  yet 
his  gifts  shall  I  receive.  Yet  another  thing 
will  I  tell  thee,  thou  Son  of  renowned  Maia 
and  of  Zeus  of  the  ^gis,  thou  bringer  of 
boon ;  there  be  certain  Thrias,  sisters  born, 
three  maidens  rejoicing  in  swift  wings.  Their 
heads  are  sprinkled  with  white  barley  flour, 


164  HOMERIC  HYMNS  536-569 

and  they  dwell  beneath  a  glade  of  Parnassus, 
apart  they  dwell,  teachers  of  soothsaying. 
This  art  I  learned  while  yet  a  boy  I  tended 
the  kine,  and  my  Father  heeded  not.  Thence 
they  flit  continually  hither  and  thither,  feed- 
ing on  honeycombs  and  bringing  all  things 
to  fulfilment.  They,  when  they  are  full  of 
the  spirit  of  soothsaying,  having  eaten  of 
the  wan  honey,  delight  to  speak  forth  the 
truth.  But  if  they  be  bereft  of  the  sweet 
food  divine,  then  lie  they  all  confusedly. 
These  I  bestow  on  thee,  and  do  thou,  in- 
quiring clearly,  delight  thine  own  heart,  and 
if  thou  instruct  any  man,  he  will  often  hearken 
to  thine  oracle,  if  he  have  the  good  fortune.1 
These  be  thine,  O  Son  of  Maia,  and  the 
cattle  of  the  field  with  twisted  horn  do  thou 
tend,  and  horses,  and  toilsome  mules.  .  .  . 
And  be  lord  over  the  burning  eyes  of  lions, 
and  white-toothed  swine,  and  dogs,  and  sheep 

1  It  appears  from  Philochorus  that  the  prophetic  lots  were 
called  thritz.  They  are  then  personified,  as  the  prophetic 
Sisters,  the  Thriae.  The  white  flour  on  their  locks  may  be  the 
grey  hair  of  old  age  :  we  know,  however,  a  practice  of  divining 
with  grain  among  an  early  agricultural  people,  the  Hurons. 


570-580  HERMES  165 

that  wide  earth  nourishes,  and  over  all  flocks 
be  glorious  Hermes  lord.  And  let  him  alone 
be  herald  appointed  to  Hades,  who,  though 
he  be  giftless,  will  give  him  highest  gift  of 
honour." 

With  such  love,  in  all  kindness,  did  Apollo 
pledge  the  Son  of  Maia,  and  thereto  Cronion 
added  grace.  With  all  mortals  and  immortals 
he  consorts.  Somewhat  doth  he  bless,  but 
ever  through  the  dark  night  he  beguiles  the 
tribes  of  mortal  men. 

Hail  to  thee  thus,  Son  of  Zeus  and  Maia, 
of  thee  shall  I  be  mindful  and  of  another 
lay. 


Ill 

APHRODITE 

HP  ELL  me,  Muse,  of  the  deeds  of  golden 
*  Aphrodite,  the  Cyprian,  who  rouses 
sweet  desire  among  the  Immortals,  and 
vanquishes  the  tribes  of  deathly  men,  and 
birds  that  wanton  in  the  air,  and  all  beasts, 
even  all  the  clans  that  earth  nurtures,  and 
all  in  the  sea.  To  all  are  dear  the  deeds  of 
the  garlanded  Cyprian. 

Yet  three  hearts  there  be  that  she  cannot 
persuade  or  beguile  :  the  daughter  of  Zeus 
of  the  -££gis,  grey-eyed  Athene :  not  to  her 
are  dear  the  deeds  of  golden  Aphrodite,  but 
war  and  the  work  of  Ares,  battle  and  broil, 
and  the  mastery  of  noble  arts.  First  was 
she  to  teach  earthly  men  the  fashioning  of 
war  chariots  and  cars  fair -wrought  with 

166 


APHRODITE  . 
Marble   statue    in  the  Louvre 


I4-3I  APHRODITE  167 

bronze.  And  she  teaches  to  tender  maidens 
in  the  halls  all  goodly  arts,  breathing  skill 
into  their  minds.  Nor  ever  doth  laughter- 
loving  Aphrodite  conquer  in  desire  Artemis 
of  the  Golden  Distaff,  rejoicing  in  the  sound 
of  the  chase,  for  the  bow  and  arrow  are 
her  delight,  and  slaughter  of  the  wild  beasts 
on  the  hills :  the  lyre,  the  dance,  the  clear 
hunting  halloo,  and  shadowy  glens,  and  cities 
of  righteous  men. 

Nor  to  the  revered  maiden  Hestia  are 
the  feats  of  Aphrodite  a  joy,  eldest  daughter 
of  crooked  -  counselled  Cronos  [youngest, 
too,  by  the  design  of  Zeus  of  the  ^Egis], 
that  lady  whom  both  Poseidon  and  Apollo 
sought  to  win.  But  she  would  not,  nay 
stubbornly  she  refused ;  and  she  swore  a 
great  oath  fulfilled,  with  her  hand  on  the 
head  of  Father  Zeus  of  the  ^Egis,  to  be 
a  maiden  for  ever,  that  lady  Goddess.  And 
to  her  Father  Zeus  gave  a  goodly  meed 
of  honour,  in  lieu  of  wedlock ;  and  in  mid- 
hall  she  sat  her  down  choosing  the  best 
portion  :  and  in  all  temples  of  the  Gods  is 


168  HOMERIC  HYMNS  31-45 

she  honoured,  and  among  all  mortals  is  chief 
of  Gods.1 

Of  these  she  cannot  win  or  beguile  the 
hearts.  But  of  all  others  there  is  none,  of 
blessed  Gods  or  mortal  men,  that  hath 
escaped  Aphrodite.  Yea,  even  the  heart 
of  Zeus  the  Thunderer  she  led  astray ;  of 
him  that  is  greatest  of  all,  and  hath  the 
highest  lot  of  honour.  Even  his  wise  wit 
she  hath  beguiled  at  her  will,  and  lightly 
laid  him  in  the  arms  of  mortal  women ; 
Hera  not  wotting  of  it,  his  sister  and  his 
wife,  the  fairest  in  goodliness  of  beauty 
among  the  deathless  Goddesses.  To  highest 
honour  did  they  beget  her,  crooked-counselled 
Cronos  and  Mother  Rheia  ;  and  Zeus  of 
imperishable  counsel  made  her  his  chaste 
and  duteous  wife. 

But  into  Aphrodite  herself  Zeus  sent  sweet 

1  Hestia,  deity  of  the  sacred  hearth,  is,  in  a  sense,  the 
Cinderella  of  the  Gods,  the  youngest  daughter,  tending  the  holy 
fire.  The  legend  of  her  being  youngest  yet  eldest  daughter 
of  Cronos  may  have  some  reference  to  this  position.  "  The 
hearth-place  shall  belong  to  the  youngest  son  or  daughter," 
in  Kent.  See  "  Costumal  of  the  Thirteenth  Century,"  with  much 
learning  on  the  subject,  in  Mr.  Elton's  "Origins  of  English 
History,"  especially  p.  190. 


45-64  APHRODITE  169 

desire,  to  lie  in  the  arms  of  a  mortal  man. 
This  wrought  he  so  that  anon  not  even  she 
might  be  unconversant  with  a  mortal  bed, 
and  might  not  some  day  with  sweet  laughter 
make  her  boast  among  all  the  Gods,  the 
smiling  Aphrodite,  that  she  had  given  the 
Gods  to  mortal  paramours,  and  they  for 
deathless  Gods  bare  deathly  sons,  and  that 
she  mingled  Goddesses  in  love  with  mortal 
men.  Therefore  Zeus  sent  into  her  heart 
sweet  desire  of  Anchises,  who  as  then  was 
pasturing  his  kine  on  the  steep  hills  of  many- 
fountained  Ida,  a  man  in  semblance  like 
the  Immortals.  Him  thereafter  did  smiling 
Aphrodite  see  and  love,  and  measureless 
desire  took  hold  on  her  heart.  To  Cyprus 
wended  she,  within  her  fragrant  shrine  :  even 
to  Paphos,  where  is  her  sacred  garth  and 
odorous  altar.  Thither  went  she  in,  and  shut 
the  shining  doors,  and  there  the  Graces 
laved  and  anointed  her  with  oil  ambrosial, 
such  as  is  on  the  bodies  of  the  eternal  Gods, 
sweet  fragrant  oil  that  she  had  by  her.  Then 
clad  she  her  body  in  goodly  raiment,  and 


1 70  HOMERIC  HYMNS  65-81 

prinked  herself  with  gold,  the  smiling  Aphro- 
dite ;  then  sped  to  Troy,  leaving  fragrant 
Cyprus,  and  high  among  the  clouds  she 
swiftly  accomplished  her  way. 

To  many-fountained  Ida  she  came,  mother 
of  wild  beasts,  and  made  straight  for  the 
steading  through  the  mountain,  while  behind 
her  came  fawning  the  beasts,  grey  wolves, 
and  lions  fiery-eyed,  and  bears,  and  swift 
pards,  insatiate  pursuers  of  the  roe-deer. 
Glad  was  she  at  the  sight  of  them,  and  sent 
desire  into  their  breasts,  and  they  went 
coupling  two  by  two  in  the  shadowy  dells. 
But  she  came  to  the  well-builded  shielings,1 
and  him  she  found  left  alone  in  the  shielings 
with  no  company,  the  hero  Anchises,  graced 
with  beauty  from  the  Gods.  All  the  rest 
were  faring  after  the  kine  through  the  grassy 
pastures,  but  he,  left  lonely  at  the  shielings, 
walked  up  and  down,  harping  sweet  and 
shrill.  In  front  of  him  stood  the  daughter 
of  Zeus,  Aphrodite,  in  semblance  and  stature 
like  an  unwedded  maid,  lest  he  should  be 

1  Shielings  are  places  of  summer  abode  in  pastoral  regions. 


8i-ioi  APHRODITE  171 

adread  when  he  beheld  the  Goddess.  And 
Anchises  marvelled  when  he  beheld  her,  her 
height,  and  beauty,  and  glistering  raiment. 
For  she  was  clad  in  vesture  more  shining 
than  the  flame  of  fire,  and  with  twisted 
armlets  and  glistering  ear-rings  of  flower- 
fashion.  About  her  delicate  neck  were 
lovely  jewels,  fair  and  golden  :  and  like  the 
moon's  was  the  light  on  her  fair  breasts,  and 
love  came  upon  Anchises,  and  he  spake 
unto  her  : 

"  Hail,  Queen,  whosoever  of  the  Immortals 
thou  art  that  comest  to  this  house  ;  whether 
Artemis,  or  Leto,  or  golden  Aphrodite,  or 
high-born  Themis,  or  grey-eyed  Athene.  Or 
perchance  thou  art  one  of  the  Graces  come 
hither,  who  dwell  friendly  with  the  Gods, 
and  have  a  name  to  be  immortal ;  or  of  the 
nymphs  that  dwell  in  this  fair  glade,  or  in 
this  fair  mountain,  and  in  the  well-heads  of 
rivers,  and  in  grassy  dells.  But  to  thee  on 
some  point  of  outlook,  in  a  place  far  seen, 
will  I  make  an  altar,  and  offer  to  thee  goodly 
victims  in  every  season.  But  for  thy  part 


172  HOMERIC  HYMNS  101-117 

be  kindly,  and  grant  me  to  be  a  man  pre- 
eminent among  the  Trojans,  and  give  goodly 
seed  of  children  to  follow  me ;  but  for  me, 
let  me  live  long,  and  see  the  sunlight,  and 
come  to  the  limit  of  old  age,  being  ever  in 
all  things  fortunate  among  men." 

Then  Aphrodite  the  daughter  of  Zeus 
answered  him : 

"  Anchises,  most  renowned  of  men  on 
earth,  behold  no  Goddess  am  I, — why  liken- 
est  thou  me  to  the  Immortals  ? — Nay,  mortal 
am  I,  and  a  mortal  mother  bare  me,  and  my 
father  is  famous  Otreus,  if  thou  perchance 
hast  heard  of  him,  who  reigns  over  strong- 
warded  Phrygia.  Now  I  well  know  both 
your  tongue  and  our  own,  for  a  Trojan  nurse 
reared  me  in  the  hall,  and  nurtured  me  ever, 
from  the  day  when  she  took  me  at  my 
mother's  hands,  and  while  I  was  but  a  little 
child.  Thus  it  is,  thou  seest,  that  I  well 
know  thy  tongue  as  well  as  my  own.  But 
even  now  the  Argus-slayer  of  the  Golden 
Wand  hath  ravished  me  away  from  the 
choir  of  Artemis,  the  Goddess  of  the  Golden 


117-136  APHRODITE  173 

Distaff,  who  loves  the  noise  of  the  chase. 
Many  nymphs,  and  maids  beloved  of  many 
wooers,  were  we  there  at  play,  and  a  great 
circle  of  people  was  about  us  withal.  But 
thence  did  he  bear  me  away,  the  Argus-slayer, 
he  o'f  the  Golden  Wand,  and  bore  me  over 
much  tilled  land  of  mortal  men,  and  many 
wastes  untilled  and  uninhabited,  where  wild 
beasts  roam  through  the  shadowy  dells.  So 
fleet  we  passed  that  I  seemed  not  to  touch 
the  fertile  earth  with  my  feet.  Now  Hermes 
said  that  I  was  bidden  to  be  the  bride  of 
Anchises,  and  mother  of  thy  goodly  children. 
But  when  he  had  spoken  and  shown  the 
thing,  lo,  instantly  he  went  back  among  the 
immortal  Gods,  —  the  renowned  Slayer  of 
Argus.  But  I  come  to  thee,  strong  necessity 
being  laid  upon  me,  and  by  Zeus  I  beseech 
thee  and  thy  good  parents, — for  none  ill 
folk  may  get  such  a  son  as  thee, — by  them 
I  implore  thee  to  take  me,  a  maiden  as  I 
am  and  untried  in  love,  and  show  me  to 
thy  father  and  thy  discreet  mother,  and  to 
thy  brothers  of  one  lineage  with  thee.  No 


174  HOMERIC  HYMNS  136-155 

unseemly  daughter  to  these,  and  sister  to 
those  will  I  be,  but  well  worthy  ;  and  do  thou 
send  a  messenger  swiftly  to  the  Phrygians 
of  the  dappled  steeds,  to  tell  my  father  of 
my  fortunes,  and  my  sorrowing  mother  :  gold 
enough  and  woven  raiment  will  they  send, 
and  many  and  goodly  gifts  shall  be  thy  meed. 
Do  thou  all  this,  and  then  busk  the  winsome 
wedding-feast,  that  is  honourable  among  both 
men  and  immortal  Gods." 

So  speaking,  the  Goddess  brought  sweet 
desire  into  his  heart,  and  love  came  upon 
Anchises,  and  he  spake,  and  said  : 

"  If  indeed  thou  art  mortal  and  a  mortal 
mother  bore  thee,  and  if  renowned  Otreus 
is  thy  father,  and  if  thou  art  come  hither 
by  the  will  of  Hermes,  the  immortal  Guide, 
and  art  to  be  called  my  wife  for  ever,  then 
neither  mortal  man  nor  immortal  God  shall 
hold  me  from  my  desire  before  I  lie  with 
thee  in  love,  now  and  anon  ;  nay,  not  even 
if  Apollo  the  Far-darter  himself  were  to  send 
the  shafts  of  sorrow  from  the  silver  bow  ! 
Nay,  thou  lady  like  the  Goddesses,  willing 


156-172  APHRODITE  175 

were  I  to  go  down  within  the  house  of 
Hades,  if  but  first  I  had  climbed  into  thy 
bed." 

So  spake  he  and  took  her  hand  ;  while 
laughter-loving  Aphrodite  turned,  and  crept 
with  fair  downcast  eyes  towards  the  bed.  It 
was  strewn  for  the  Prince,  as  was  of  wont, 
with  soft  garments  :  and  above  it  lay  skins  of 
bears  and  deep-voiced  lions  that  he  had  slain 
in  the  lofty  hills.  When  then  they  twain 
had  gone  up  into  the  well-wrought  bed,  first 
Anchises  took  from  her  body  her  shining 
jewels,  brooches,  and  twisted  armlets,  earrings 
and  chains  :  and  he  loosed  her  girdle,  and 
unclad  her  of  her  glistering  raiment,  that  he 
laid  on  a  silver-studded  chair.  Then  through 
the  Gods'  will  and  design,  by  the  immortal 
Goddess  lay  the  mortal  man,  not  wotting 
what  he  did. 

Now  in  the  hour  when  herdsmen  drive 
back  the  kine  and  sturdy  sheep  to  the  stead- 
ing from  the  flowery  pastures,  even  then  the 
Goddess  poured  sweet  sleep  into  Anchises, 
and  clad  herself  in  her  goodly  raiment. 


176  HOMERIC  HYMNS  173-191 

Now  when  she  was  wholly  clad,  the  lady 
Goddess,  her  head  touched  the  beam  of  the 
lofty  roof :  and  from  her  cheeks  shone  forth 
immortal  beauty, — even  the  beauty  of  fair- 
garlanded  Cytherea.  Then  she  aroused  him 
from  sleep,  and  spake,  and  said  : 

"  Rise,  son  of  Dardanus,  why  now  slum- 
berest  thou  so  deeply  ?  Consider,  am  I  even 
in  aspect  such  as  I  was  when  first  thine  eyes 
beheld  me  ?  " 

So  spake  she,  and  straightway  he  started 
up  out  of  slumber  and  was  adread,  and 
turned  his  eyes  away  when  he  beheld  the 
neck  and  the  fair  eyes  of  Aphrodite.  His 
goodly  face  he  veiled  again  in  a  cloak,  and 
imploring  her,  he  spake  winged  words  : 

"  Even  so  soon  as  mine  eyes  first  be- 
held thee,  Goddess,  I  knew  thee  for  divine  : 
but  not  sooth  didst  thou  speak  to  me. 
But  by  Zeus  of  the  ALgis  I  implore  thee, 
suffer  me  not  to  live  a  strengthless  shadow 
among  men,  but  pity  me  :  for  no  man  lives 
in  strength  that  has  couched  with  immortal 
Goddesses." 


192-208  APHRODITE  177 

Then  answered  him  Aphrodite,  daughter 
of  Zeus  : 

"  Anchises,  most  renowned  of  mortal  men, 
take  courage,  nor  fear  overmuch.  For  no 
fear  is  there  that  thou  shalt  suffer  scathe 
from  me,  nor  from  others  of  the  blessed 
Gods,  for  dear  to  the  Gods  art  thou.  And 
to  thee  shall  a  dear  son  be  born,  and  bear 
sway  among  the  Trojans,  and  children's  chil- 
dren shall  arise  after  him  continually.  Lo, 
-#DNEAS  shall  his  name  be  called,  since  dread 
sorrow  held  me  when  I  came  into  the  bed 
of  a  mortal  man.  And  of  all  mortal  men 
these  who  spring  from  thy  race  are  always 
nearest  to  the  immortal  Gods  in  beauty  and 
stature ;  witness  how  wise-counselling  Zeus 
carried  away  golden-haired  Ganymedes,  for 
his  beauty's  sake,  that  he  might  abide  with 
the  Immortals  and  be  the  cup-bearer  of  the 
Gods  in  the  house  of  Zeus,  a  marvellous  thing 
to  behold,  a  mortal  honoured  among  all  the 
Immortals,  as  he  draws  the  red  nectar  from 
the  golden  mixing-bowl.  But  grief  incur- 
able possessed  the  heart  of  Tros,  nor  knew 

M 


178  HOMERIC  HYMNS  208-225 

he  whither  the  wild  wind  had  blown  his  dear 
son  away,  therefore  day  by  day  he  lamented 
him  continually  till  Zeus  took  pity  upon  him, 
and  gave  him  as  a  ransom  of  his  son  high- 
stepping  horses  that  bear  the  immortal  Gods. 
These  he  gave  him  for  a  gift,  and  the  Guide, 
the  Slayer  of  Argus,  told  all  these  things  by 
the  command  of  Zeus,  even  how  Ganymedes 
should  be  for  ever  exempt  from  old  age  and 
death,  even  as  are  the  Gods.  Now  when  his 
father  heard  this  message  of  Zeus  he  rejoiced 
in  his  heart  and  lamented  no  longer,  but  was 
gladly  charioted  by  the  wind-fleet  horses. 

"  So  too  did  Dawn  of  the  Golden  Throne 
carry  off  Tithonus,  a  man  of  your  lineage, 
one  like  unto  the  Immortals.  Then  went 
she  to  pray  to  Cronion,  who  hath  dark 
clouds  for  his  tabernacle,  that  her  lover 
might  be  immortal  and  exempt  from  death 
for  ever.  Thereto  Zeus  consented  and 
granted  her  desire,  but  foolish  of  heart  was 
the  Lady  Dawn,  nor  did  she  deem  it  good 
to  ask  for  eternal  youth  for  her  lover,  and 
to  keep  him  unwrinkled  by  grievous  old  age. 


226-245  APHRODITE  179 

Now  so  long  as  winsome  youth  was  his,  in 
joy  did  he  dwell  with  the  Golden-throned 
Dawn,  the  daughter  of  Morning,  at  the 
world's  end  beside  the  streams  of  Oceanus, 
but  so  soon  as  grey  hairs  began  to  flow 
from  his  fair  head  and  goodly  chin,  the  Lady 
Dawn  held  aloof  from  his  bed,  but  kept  and 
cherished  him  in  her  halls,  giving  him  food 
and  ambrosia  and  beautiful  raiment.  But 
when  hateful  old  age  had  utterly  overcome 
him,  and  he  could  not  move  or  lift  his  limbs, 
to  her  this  seemed  the  wisest  counsel  ;  she 
laid  him  in  a  chamber,  and  shut  the  shining 
doors,  and  his  voice  flows  on  endlessly,  and 
no  strength  now  is  his  such  as  once  there 
was  in  his  limbs.  Therefore  I  would  not 
have  thee  to  be  immortal  and  live  for  ever 
in  such  fashion  among  the  deathless  Gods, 
but  if,  being  such  as  thou  art  in  beauty  and 
form,  thou  couldst  live  on,  and  be  called 
my  lord,  then  this  grief  would  not  over- 
shadow my  heart. 

"  But  it  may  not  be,  for  swiftly  will  piti- 
less old   age  come   upon   thee,  old  age  that 


180  HOMERIC  HYMNS  245-263 

standeth  close  by  mortal  men ;  wretched 
and  weary,  and  detested  by  the  Gods  :  but 
among  the  immortal  Gods  shall  great  blame 
be  mine  for  ever,  and  all  for  love  of  thee. 
For  the  Gods  were  wont  to  dread  my  words 
and  wiles  wherewith  I  had  subdued  all  the 
Immortals  to  mortal  women  in  love,  my 
purpose  overcoming  them  all  ;  for  now, 
lo  you,  my  mouth  will  no  longer  suffice 
to  speak  forth  this  boast  among  the  Im- 
mortals,1 for  deep  and  sore  hath  been  my 
folly,  wretched  and  not  to  be  named  ;  and 
distraught  have  I  been  who  carry  a  child 
beneath  my  girdle,  the  child  of  a  mortal. 
Now  so  soon  as  he  sees  the  light  of  the  sun 
the  deep-bosomed  mountain  nymphs  will 
rear  him  for  me ;  the  nymphs  who  haunt 
this  great  and  holy  mountain,  being  of  the 
clan  neither  of  mortals  nor  of  immortal  Gods. 
Long  is  their  life,  and  immortal  food  do 
they  eat,  and  they  join  in  the  goodly  dance 
with  the  immortal  Gods.  With  them  the 

1  Reading  xtifferai,  Mr.  Edgar  renders  "  no  longer  will  my 
mouth  ope  to  tell,"  &c. 


263-282  APHRODITE  181 

Sileni  and  the  keen-sighted  Slayer  of  Argus 
live  in  dalliance  in  the  recesses  of  the 
darkling  caves.  At  their  birth  there  sprang 
up  pine  trees  or  tall-crested  oaks  on  the 
fruitful  earth,  flourishing  and  fair,  and  on 
the  lofty  mountain  they  stand,  and  are  called 
the  groves  of  the  immortal  Gods,  which  in  no 
wise  doth  man  cut  down  with  the  steel.  But 
when  the  fate  of  death  approaches,  first  do 
the  fair  trees  wither  on  the  ground,  and  the 
bark  about  them  moulders,  and  the  twigs 
fall  down,  and  even  as  the  tree  perishes  so 
the  soul  of  the  nymph  leaves  the  light  of 
the  sun. 

"  These  nymphs  will  keep  my  child  with 
them  and  rear  him ;  and  him  when  first  he 
enters  on  lovely  youth  shall  these  Goddesses 
bring  hither  to  thee,  and  show  thee.  But  to 
thee,  that  I  may  tell  thee  all  my  mind,  will 
I  come  in  the  fifth  year  bringing  my  son.  At 
the  sight  of  him  thou  wilt  be  glad  when  thou 
beholdest  him  with  thine  eyes,  for  he  will  be 
divinely  fair,  and  thou  wilt  lead  him  straight- 
way to  windy  Ilios.  But  if  any  mortal 


1 82  HOMERIC  HYMNS  282-294 

man  asketh  of  thee  what  mother  bare  this 
thy  dear  son,  be  mindful  to  answer  him  as 
I  command  :  say  that  he  is  thy  son  by  one 
of  the  flower-faced  nymphs  who  dwell  in 
this  forest-clad  mountain,  but  if  in  thy  folly 
thou  speakest  out,  and  boastest  to  have  been 
the  lover  of  fair-garlanded  Cytherea,  then 
Zeus  in  his  wrath  will  smite  thee  with  the 
smouldering  thunderbolt.  Now  all  is  told 
to  thee :  do  thou  be  wise,  and  keep  thy 
counsel,  and  speak  not  my  name,  but  revere 
the  wrath  of  the  Gods." 

So  spake  she,  and  soared  up  into  the  windy 
heaven. 

Goddess,  Queen  of  well-stablished  Cyprus, 
having  given  thee  honour  due,  I  shall  pass  on 
to  another  hymn. 


SYRACUSAN    MEDALLION    BY   EUAINETOS 
Obv,  Head  of  Persephone.  Rev.  Victorious  Chariot. 


IV 
HYMN   TO   DEMETER 

fair-tressed  Demeter,  Demeter  holy 
Goddess,  I  begin  to  sing  :  of  her  and  her 
slim-ankled  daughter  whom  Hades  snatched 
away,  the  gift  of  wide-beholding  Zeus,  but 
Demeter  knew  it  not,  she  that  bears  the 
Seasons,  the  giver  of  goodly  crops.  For 
her  daughter  was  playing  with  the  deep- 
bosomed  maidens  of  Oceanus,  and  was  gather- 
ing flowers — roses,  and  crocuses,  and  fair 
183 


184  HOMERIC  HYMNS  6-24 

violets  in  the  soft  meadow,  and  lilies,  and 
hyacinths,  and  the  narcissus  which  the  earth 
brought  forth  as  a  snare  to  the  fair-faced 
maiden,  by  the  counsel  of  Zeus  and  to 
pleasure  the  Lord  with  many  guests.  Won- 
drously  bloomed  the  flower,  a  marvel  for  all 
to  see,  whether  deathless  gods  or  deathly 
men.  From  its  root  grew  forth  a  hundred 
blossoms,  and  with  its  fragrant  odour  the 
wide  heaven  above  and  the  whole  earth 
laughed,  and  the  salt  wave  of  the  sea.  Then 
the  maiden  marvelled,  and  stretched  forth 
both  her  hands  to  seize  the  fair  plaything,  but 
the  wide-wayed  earth  gaped  in  the  Nysian 
plain,  and  up  rushed  the  Prince,  the  host 
of  many  guests,  the  many-named  son  of 
Cronos,  with  his  immortal  horses.  Maugre 
her  will  he  seized  her,  and  drave  her  off 
weeping  in  his  golden  chariot,  but  she  shrilled 
aloud,  calling  on  Father  Cronides,  the  highest 
of  gods  and  the  best. 

But  no  immortal  god  or  deathly  man 
heard  the  voice  of  her,  .....  save 
the  daughter  of  Persaeus,  Hecate  of  the 


24-42  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  185 

shining  head-tire,  as  she  was  thinking  deli- 
cate thoughts,  who  heard  the  cry  from  her 
cave  [and  Prince  Helios,  the  glorious  son 
of  Hyperion],  the  maiden  calling  on  Father 
Cronides.  But  he  far  off  sat  apart  from 
the  gods  in  his  temple  haunted  by  prayers, 
receiving  goodly  victims  from  mortal  men. 
By  the  design  of  Zeus  did  the  brother  of  Zeus 
lead  the  maiden  away,  the  lord  of  many,  the 
host  of  many  guests,  with  his  deathless  horses  ; 
right  sore  against  her  will,  even  he  of  many 
names  the  son  of  Cronos.  Now,  so  long  as 
the  Goddess  beheld  the  earth,  and  the  starry 
heaven,  and  the  tide  of  the  teeming  sea,  and 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  still  hoped  to  behold 
her  mother  dear,  and  the  tribes  of  the  eternal 
gods  ;  even  so  long,  despite  her  sorrow,  hope 
warmed  her  high  heart  ;  then  rang  the  moun- 
tain peaks,  and  the  depths  of  the  sea  to  her 
immortal  voice,  and  her  lady  mother  heard 
her.  Then  sharp  pain  caught  at  her  heart, 
and  with  her  hands  she  tore  the  wimple 
about  her  ambrosial  hair,  and  cast  a  dark 
veil  about  her  shoulders,  and  then  sped  she 


1 86  HOMERIC  HYMNS  43-62 

like  a  bird  over  land  and  sea  in  her  great 
yearning  ;  but  to  her  there  was  none  that 
would  tell  the  truth,  none,  either  of  Go:ls, 
or  deathly  men,  nor  even  a  bird  came  nigh 
her,  a  soothsaying  messenger.  Thereafter 
for  nine  days  did  Lady  Deo  roam  the  earth, 
with  torches  burning  in  her  hands,  nor  ever 
in  her  sorrow  tasted  she  of  ambrosia  and 
sweet  nectar,  nor  laved  her  body  in  the 
baths.  But  when  at  last  the  tenth  morn 
came  to  her  with  the  light,  Hecate  met  her, 
a  torch  in  her  hands,  and  spake  a  word  of 
tidings,  and  said : 

"  Lady  Demeter,  thou  that  bringest  the 
Seasons,  thou  giver  of  glad  gifts,  which  of 
the  heavenly  gods  or  deathly  men  hath 
ravished  away  Persephone,  and  brought  thee 
sorrow  :  for  I  heard  a  voice  but  I  saw  not 
who  the  ravisher  might  be  ?  All  this  I  say 
to  thee  for  sooth." 

So  spake  Hecate,  and  the  daughter  of 
fair-tressed  Rheie  answered  her  not,  but 
swiftly  rushed  on  with  her,  bearing  torches 
burning  in  her  hands.  So  came  they  to 


62-79  HYMN  TO  DE METER  187 

Helios  that  watches  both  for  gods  and  men, 
and  stood  before  his  car,  and  the  lady 
Goddess  questioned  him  : 

"  Helios,  be  pitiful  on  me  that  am  a 
goddess,  if  ever  by  word  or  deed  I  gladdened 
thy  heart.  My  daughter,  whom  I  bore,  a 
sweet  plant  and  fair  to  see  ;  it  was  her  shrill 
voice  I  heard  through  the  air  unharvested, 
even  as  of  one  violently  entreated,  but  I  saw 
her  not  with  my  eyes.  But  do  thou  that 
lookest  down  with  thy  rays  from  the  holy  air 
upon  all  the  land  and  sea,  do  thou  tell  me 
truly  concerning  my  dear  child,  if  thou  didst 
behold  her  ;  who  it  is  that  hath  gone  off  and 
ravished  her  away  from  me  against  her  will, 
who  is  it  of  gods  or  mortal  men  ?  " 

So  spake  she,  and  Hyperionides  answered 
her : 

"  Daughter  of  fair-tressed  Rheia,  Queen 
Demeter,  thou  shalt  know  it  ;  for  greatly  do 
I  pity  and  revere  thee  in  thy  sorrow  for 
thy  slim-ankled  child.  There  is  none  other 
guilty  of  the  Immortals  but  Zeus  himself  that 
gathereth  the  clouds,  who  gave  thy  daughter 


1 88  HOMERIC  HYMNS  80-96 

to  Hades,  his  own  brother,  to  be  called  his 
lovely  wife  ;  and  Hades  has  ravished  her  away 
in  his  chariot,  loudly  shrilling,  beneath  the 
dusky  gloom.  But,  Goddess,  do  thou  cease 
from  thy  long  lamenting.  It  behoves  not 
thee  thus  vainly  to  cherish  anger  unassuaged. 
No  unseemly  lord  for  thy  daughter  among 
the  Immortals  is  Aidoneus,  the  lord  of  many, 
thine  own  brother  and  of  one  seed  with  thee, 
and  for  his  honour  he  won,  since  when 
was  made  the  threefold  division,  to  be  lord 
among  those  with  whom  he  dwells." 

So  spake  he,  and  called  upon  his  horses, 
and  at  his  call  they  swiftly  bore  the  fleet 
chariot  on  like  long-winged  birds.  But  grief 
more  dread  and  bitter  fell  upon  her,  and 
wroth  thereafter  was  she  with  Cronion  that 
hath  dark  clouds  for  his  dwelling.  She  held 
apart  from  the  gathering  of  the  Gods  and 
from  tall  Olympus,  and  disfiguring  her  form 
for  many  days  she  went  among  the  cities 
and  rich  fields  of  men.  Now  no  man  knew 
her  that  looked  on  her,  nor  no  deep-bosomed 
woman,  till  she  came  to  the  dwelling  .of 


96-H3  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  189 

Celeus,  who  then  was  Prince  of  fragrant 
Eleusis.  There  sat  she  at  the  wayside  in 
sorrow  of  heart,  by  the  Maiden  Well  whence 
the  townsfolk  were  wont  to  draw  water. 
In  the  shade  she  sat ;  above  her  grew  a 
thick  olive-tree  ;  and  in  fashion  she  was 
like  an  ancient  crone  who  knows  no  more 
of  child-bearing  and  the  gifts  of  Aphro- 
dite, the  lover  of  garlands.  Such  she  was 
as  are  the  nurses  of  the  children  of  doom- 
pronouncing  kings.  Such  are  the  house- 
keepers in  their  echoing  halls. 

Now  the  daughters  of  Celeus  beheld  her 
as  they  came  to  fetch  the  fair-flowing  water, 
to  carry  thereof  in  bronze  vessels  to  their 
father's  home.  Four  were  they,  like  unto 
goddesses,  all  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  Calli- 
dice,  and  Cleisidice,  and  winsome  Demo,  and 
Callithoe  the  eldest  of  them  all,  nor  did  they 
know  her,  for  the  Gods  are  hard  to  be  known 
by  mortals,  but  they  stood  near  her  and 
spake  winged  words  : 

"  Who  art  thou  and  whence,  old  woman, 
of  ancient  folk,  and  why  wert  thou  wandering 


190  HOMERIC  HYMNS  113-132 

-V 

apart  from  the  town,  nor  dost  draw  nigh  to 
the  houses  where  are  women  of  thine  own 
age,  in  the  shadowy  halls,  even  such  as  thou, 
and  younger  women,  too,  who  may  kindly 
entreat  thee  in  word  and  deed  ? " 

So  spake  they,  and  the  lady  Goddess 
answered  : 

"  Dear  children,  whoever  ye  be,  of  woman- 
kind I  bid  you  hail,  and  I  will  tell  you  my 
story.  Seemly  it  is  to  answer  your  ques- 
tions truly.  Deo  is  my  name  that  my  lady 
mother  gave  me  ;  but  now,  look  you,  from 
Crete  am  I  come  hither  over  the  wide  ridges 
of  the  sea,  by  no  will  of  my  own,  nay,-  by 
violence  have  sea-rovers  brought  me  hither 
under  duress,  who  thereafter  touched  with 
their  swift  ship  at  Thoricos  where  the  women 
and  they  themselves  embarked  on  land. 
Then  were  they  busy  about  supper  beside 
the  hawsers  of  the  ship,  but  my  heart  heeded 
not  delight  of  supper  ;  no,  stealthily  setting 
forth  through  the  dark  land  I  fled  from 
these  overweening  masters,  that  they  might 
not  sell  me  whom  they  had  never  bought 


133-152  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  191 

and  gain  my  price.  Thus  hither  have  I 
come  in  my  wandering,  nor  know  I  at  all 
what  land  is  this,  nor  who  they  be  that  dwell 
therein.  But  to  you  may  all  they  that  hold 
mansions  in  Olympus  give  husbands  and 
lords,  and  such  children  to  bear  as  parents 
desire  ;  but  me  do  ye  maidens  pity  in  your 
kindness,  till  I  come  to  the  house  of  woman 
or  of  man,  that  there  I  may  work  zealously 
for  them  in  such  tasks  as  fit  a  woman  of  my 
years.  I  could  carry*in  mine  arms  a  new- 
born babe,  and  nurse  it  well,  and  keep  the 
house,  and  strew  my  master's  bed  within  the 
well-builded  chambers,  and  teach  the  maids 
their  tasks." 

So  spake  the  Goddess,  and  straightway 
answered  her  the  maid  unwed,  Callidice, 
the  fairest  of  the  daughters  of  Celeus  : 

"  Mother,  what  things  soever  the  Gods  do 
give  must  men,  though  sorrowing,  endure, 
for  the  Gods  are  far  stronger  than  we  ;  but 
this  will  I  tell  thee  clearly  and  soothly, 
namely,  what  men  they  are  who  here  have 
most  honour,  and  who  lead  the  people,  and  by 


I92  HOMERIC  HYMNS  152-171 

their  counsels  and  just  dooms  do  safeguard 
the  bulwarks  of  the  city.  Such  are  wise 
Triptolemus,  Diocles,  Polyxenus,  and  noble 
Eumolpus,  and  Dolichus,  and  our  lordly 
father.  All  their  wives  keep  their  houses,  and 
not  one  of  them  would  at  first  sight  contemn 
thee  and  thrust  thee  from  their  halls,  but 

gladly  they  will  receive  thee  :  for  thine  aspect 

• 
is  divine.     So,  if  thou  wilt,  abide  here,  that 

we  may  go  to  the  house  of  my  father,  and 
tell  out  all  this  tale  to  my  mother,  the  deep- 
bosomed  Metaneira,  if  perchance  she  will  bid 
thee  come  to  our  house  and  not  seek  the 
homes  of  others.  A  dear  son  born  in  her 
later  years  is  nurtured  in  the  well-builded 
hall,  a  child  of  many  prayers  and  a  welcome. 
If  thou  wouldst  nurse  him  till  he  comes 
to  the  measure  of  youth,  then  whatsoever 
woman  saw  thee  should  envy  thee  ;  such  gifts 
of  fosterage  would  my  mother  give  thee." 

So  spake  she  and  the  Goddess  nodded 
assent.  So  rejoicing  they  filled  their  shining 
pitchers  with  water  and  bore  them  away. 
Swiftly  they  came  to  the  high  hall  of  their 


171-198  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  193 

father,  and  quickly  they  told  their  mother 
what  they  had  heard  and  seen,  and  speedily 
she  bade  them  run  and  call  the  strange 
woman,  offering  goodly  hire.  Then  as  deer 
or  calves  in  the  season  of  Spring  "leap 
along  the  meadow,  when  they  have  had 
their  fill  of  pasture,  so  lightly  they  kilted 
up  the  folds  of  their  lovely  kirtles,  and  ran 
along  the  hollow  chariot-way,  while  their 
hair  danced  on  their  shoulders,  in  colour 
like  the  crocus  flower.  They  found  the 
glorious  Goddess  at  the  wayside,  even  where 
they  had  left  her,  and  anon  they  led  her 
to  their  father's  house.  But  she  paced  be- 
hind in  heaviness  of  heart,  her  head  veiled, 
and  the  dark  robe  floating  about  her 
slender  feet  divine.  Speedily  they  came  to 
the  house  of  Celeus,  the  fosterling  of  Zeus, 
and  they  went  through  the  corridor  where 
their  lady  mother  was  sitting  by  the  door- 
post of  the  well-wrought  hall,  with  her  child 
in  her  lap,  a  young  blossom,  and  the  girls 
ran  up  to  her,  but  the  Goddess  stood 
on  the  threshold,  her  head  touching  the 


194  HOMERIC  HYMNS  198-209 

roof-beam,  and  she  filled  the  doorway  with 
the  light  divine.  Then  wonder,  and  awe, 
and  pale  fear  seized  the  mother,  and  she 
gave  place  from  her  high  seat,  and  bade  the 
Godfless  be  seated.  But  Demeter  the  bearer 
of  the  Seasons,  the  Giver  of  goodly  gifts, 
would  not  sit  down  upon  the  shining  high 
seat.  Nay,  in  silence  she  waited,  casting 
down  her  lovely  eyes,  till  the  wise  lambe  set 
for  her  a  well-made  stool,  and  cast  over  it  a 
glistering  fleece.1  Then  sat  she  down  and 
held  the  veil  before  her  face ;  long  in  sorrow 
and  silence  sat  she  so,  and  spake  to  no  man 
nor  made  any  sign,  but  smileless  she  sat,  nor 
tasted  meat  nor  drink,  wasting  with  long 
desire  for  her  deep-bosomed  daughter. 

So  abode  she  till  wise  lambe  with  jests  and 
many  mockeries  beguiled  the  lady,  the  holy 
one,  to  smile  and  laugh  and  hold  a  happier 
heart,  and  pleased  her  moods  even  thereafter. 
Then  Metaneira  filled  a  cup  of  sweet  wine 
and  offered  it  to  her,  but  she  refused  it, 
saying,  that  it  was  not  permitted  for  her  to 

1  K\ifffi6t  seems  to  answer  tofauteuil,  5i<f>pos  to  tabouret. 


209-226  HYMN  TO  DE METER  195 

drink  red  wine  ;  but  she  bade  them  mix  meal 
and  water  with  the  tender  herb  of  mint,  and 
give  it  to  her  to  drink.  Then  Metaneira 
made  a  potion  and  gave  it  to  the  Goddess 
as  she  bade,  and  Lady  Deo  took  it  and 
made  libation,  and  to  them  fair-girdled 
Metaneira  said  : 

"  Hail,  lady,  for  methinks  thou  art  not  of 
mean  parentage,  but  goodly  born,  for  grace 
and  honour  shine  in  thine  eyes  as  in  the 
eyes  of  doom-dealing  kings.  But  the  gifts 
of  the  Gods,  even  in  sorrow,  we  men  of 
necessity  endure,  for  the  yoke  is  laid  upon 
our  necks  ;  yet  now  that  thou  art  come 
hither,  such  things  as  I  have  shall  be  thine. 
Rear  me  this  child  that  the  Gods  have  given 
in  my  later  years  and  beyond  my  hope ; 
and  he  is  to  me  a  child  of  many  prayers. 
If  thou  rear  him,  and  he  come  to  the  mea- 
sure of  youth,  verily  each  woman  that  sees 
thee  will  envy  thee,  such  shall  be  my  gifts 
of  fosterage." 

Then  answered  her  again  Demeter  of  the 
fair  garland : 

"  And  mayst  thou  too,  lady,  fare  well,  and 


196  HOMERIC  HYMNS  226-241 

the  Gods  give  thee  all  things  good.  Gladly 
will  I  receive  thy  child  that  thou  biddest 
me  nurse.  Never,  methinks,  by  the  folly  of 
his  nurse  shall  charm  or  sorcery  harm  him  ; 
for  I  know  an  antidote  stronger  than  the  wild 
wood  herb,  and  a  goodly  salve  I  know  for 
the  venomed  spells." 

So  spake  she,  and  with  her  immortal  hands 
she  placed  the  child  on  her  fragrant  breast, 
and  the  mother  was  glad  at  heart.  So  in 
the  halls  she  nursed  the  goodly  son  of 
wise  Celeus,  even  Demophoon,  whom  deep- 
breasted  Metaneira  bare,  and  he  grew  like 
a  god,  upon  no  mortal  food,  nor  on  no 
mother's  milk.  For  Demeter  anointed  him 
with  ambrosia  as  though  he  had  been  a 
son  of  a  God,  breathing  sweetness  over  him, 
and  keeping  him  in  her  bosom.  So  wrought 
she  by  day,  but  at  night  she  was  wont  to 
hide  him  in  the  force  of  fire  like  a  brand, 
his  dear  parents  knowing  it  not.1  Nay,  to 

1  M.  Lefebure  suggests  to  me  that  this  is  a  trace  of  Phoenician 
influence:  compare  Moloch's  sacrifices  of  children,  and  "pass- 
ing through  the  fire."  Such  rites,  however,  are  frequent  in 
Japan,  Bulgaria,  India,  Polynesia,  and  so  on.  See  "The  Fire 
Walk"  in  my  "Modern  Mythology." 


241-259  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  197 

them  it  was  great  marvel  how  flourished  he 
and  grew  like  the  Gods  to  look  upon.  And, 
verily,  she  would  have  made  him  exempt 
from  eld  and  death  for  ever,  had  not  fair- 
girdled  Metaneira,  in  her  witlessness,  spied  on 
her  in  the  night  from  her  fragrant  chamber. 
Then  wailed  she,  and  smote  both  her  thighs, 
in  terror  for  her  child,  and  in  anguish 
of  heart,  and  lamenting  she  spake  winged 
words  :  "  My  child  Demophoon,  the  stranger 
is  concealing  thee  in  the  heart  of  the  fire ; 
bitter  sorrow  for  me  and  lamentation." 

So  spake  she,  wailing,  and  the  lady  God- 
dess heard  her.  Then  in  wrath  did  the  fair- 
garlanded  Demeter  snatch  out  of  the  fire 
with  her  immortal  hands  and  cast  upon  the 
ground  that  woman's  dear  son,  whom  be- 
yond all  hope  she  had  borne  in  the  halls. 
Dread  was  the  wrath  of  Demeter,  and  anon 
she  spake  to  fair-girdled  Metaneira.  "  Oh 
redeless  and  uncounselled  race  of  men,  that 
know  not  beforehand  the  fate  of  coming 
good  or  coming  evil.  For,  lo,  thou  hast 
wrought  upon  thyself  a  bane  incurable,  by 


198  HOMERIC  HYMNS  259-277 

thine  own  witlessness ;  for  by  the  oath  of  the 
Gods,  the  relentless  water  of  Styx,  I  would 
have  made  thy  dear  child  deathless  and 
exempt  from  age  for  ever,  and  would  have 
given  him  glory  imperishable.  But  now  in 
nowise  may  he  escape  the  Fates  and  death, 
yet  glory  imperishable  will  ever  be  his,  since 
he  has  lain  on  my  knees  and  slept  within 
my  arms ;  [but  as  the  years  go  round,  and  in 
his  day,  the  sons  of  the  Eleusinians  will  ever 
wage  war  and  dreadful  strife  one  upon  the 
other.]  Now  I  am  the  honoured  Demeter, 
the  greatest  good  and  gain  of  the  Immortals 
to  deathly  men.  But,  come  now,  let  all  the 
people  build  me  a  great  temple  and  an  altar 
thereby,  below  the  town,  and  the  steep  wall, 
above  Callichorus  on  the  jutting  rock.  But 
the  rites  I  myself  will  prescribe,  that  in  time 
to  come  ye  may  pay  them  duly  and  appease 
my  power." 

Therewith  the  Goddess  changed  her  shape 
and  height,  and  cast  off  old  age,  and  beauty 
breathed  about  her,  and  the  sweet  scent  was 
breathed  from  her  fragrant  robes,  and  afar 


278-295  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  199 

shone  the  light  from  the  deathless  body  of 
the  Goddess,  the  yellow  hair  flowing  about 
her  shoulders,  so  that  the  goodly  house  was 
filled  with  the  splendour  as  of  levin  fire,  and 
forth  from  the  halls  went  she. 

But  anon  the  knees  of  the  woman  were 
loosened,  and  for  long  time  she  was  speech- 
less, nay,  nor  did  she  even  mind  of  the 
child,  her  best  beloved,  to  lift  him  from  the 
floor.  But  the  sisters  of  the  child  heard 
his  pitiful  cry,  and  leapt  from  their  fair- 
strewn  beds  ;  one  of  them,  lifting  the  child 
in  her  hands,  laid  it  in  her  bosom  ;  and 
another  lit  fire,  and  the  third  ran  with 
smooth  feet  to  take  her  mother  forth  from 
the  fragrant  chamber.  Then  gathered  they 
about  the  child,  and  bathed  and  clad  him 
lovingly,  yet  his  mood  was  not  softened,  for 
meaner  nurses  now  and  handmaids  held 
him. 

They  the  long  night  through  were  adoring 
the  renowned  Goddess,  trembling  with  fear, 
but  at  the  dawning  they  told  truly  to  mighty 
Celeus  all  that  the  Goddess  had  commanded  ; 


200  HOMERIC  HYMNS  297-313 

even  Demeter  of  the  goodly  garland.  Thereon 
he  called  into  the  market-place  the  many 
people,  and  bade  them  make  a  rich  temple, 
and  an  altar  to  fair-tressed  Demeter,  upon 
the  jutting  rock.  Then  anon  they  heard 
and  obeyed  his  voice,  and  as  he  bade  they 
builded.  And  the  child  increased  in  strength 
by  the  Goddess's  will. 

Now  when  they  had  done  their  work,  and 
rested  from  their  labours,  each  man  started 
for  his  home,  but  yellow-haired  Demeter, 
sitting  there  apart  from  all  the  blessed  Gods, 
abode,  wasting  away  with  desire  for  her  deep- 
bosomed  daughter.  Then  the  most  dread 
and  terrible  of  years  did  the  Goddess  bring 
for  mortals  upon  the  fruitful  earth,  nor  did 
the  earth  send  up  the  seed,  for  Demeter  of 
the  goodly  garland  concealed  it.  Many 
crooked  ploughs  did  the  oxen  drag  through 
the  furrows  in  vain,  and  much  white  barley 
fell  fruitless  upon  the  land.  Now  would  the 
whole  race  of  mortal  men  have  perished 
utterly  from  the  stress  of  famine,  and  the 
Gods  that  hold  mansions  in  Olympus  would 


313-330  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  201 

have  lost  the  share  and  renown  of  gift  and 
sacrifice,  if  Zeus  had  not  conceived  a  counsel 
within  his  heart. 

First  he  roused  Iris  of  the  golden  wings 
to  speed  forth  and  call  the  fair-tressed 
Demeter,  the  lovesome  in  beauty.  So  spake 
Zeus,  and  Iris  obeyed  Zeus,  the  son  of 
Cronos,  who  hath  dark  clouds  for  his 
tabernacle,  and  swiftly  she  sped  adown  the 
space  between  heaven  and  earth.  Then 
came  she  to  the  citadel  of  fragrant  Eleu- 
sis,  and  in  the  temple  she  found  Demeter 
clothed  in  dark  raiment,  and  speaking  winged 
words  addressed  her  :  "  Demeter,  Father 
Zeus,  whose  counsels  are  imperishable,  bids 
thee  back  unto  the  tribes  of  the  eternal 
Gods.  Come  thou,  then,  lest  the  word  of 
Zeus  be  of  no  avail."  So  spake  she  in  her 
prayer,  but  the  Goddess  yielded  not.  There- 
after the  Father  sent  forth  all  the  blessed 
Gods,  all  of  the  Immortals,  and  coming  one 
by  one  they  bade  Demeter  return,  and  gave 
her  many  splendid  gifts,  and  all  honours  that 
she  might  choose  among  the  immortal  Gods. 


202  HOMERIC  HYMNS  331-347 

But  none  availed  to  persuade  by  turning 
her  mind  and  her  angry  heart,  so  stub- 
bornly she  refused  their  sayings.  For  she 
deemed  no  more  for  ever  to  enter  fragrant 
Olympus,  and  no  more  to  allow  the  earth 
to  bear  her  fruit,  until  her  eyes  should  be- 
hold her  fair-faced  daughter. 

But  when  far-seeing  Zeus,  the  lord  of  the 
thunder-peal,  had  heard  the  thing,  he  sent  to 
Erebus  the  slayer  of  Argos,  the  God  of  the 
golden  wand,  to  win  over  Hades  with  soft 
words,  and  persuade  him  to  bring  up  holy 
Persephone  into  the  light,  and  among  the 
Gods,  from  forth  the  murky  gloom,  that  so 
her  mother  might  behold  her,  and  that  her 
anger  might  relent.  And  Hermes  disobeyed 
not,  but  straightway  and  speedily  went  forth 
beneath  the  hollow  places  of  the  earth, 
leaving  the  home  of  Olympus.  That  King 
he  found  within  his  dwelling,  sitting  on  a 
couch  with  his  chaste  bedfellow,  who  sorely 
grieved  for  desire  of  her  mother,  that  still 
was  cherishing  a  fell  design  against  the  ill 
deeds  of  the  Gods.  Then  the  strong  slayer 


348-366  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  203 

of  Argos  drew  near  and  spoke  :  "  Hades  of 
the  dark  locks,  thou  Prince  of  men  out-worn, 
Father  Zeus  bade  me  bring  the  dread  Perse- 
phone forth  from  Erebus  among  the  Gods, 
that  her  mother  may  behold  her,  and  relent 
from  her  anger  and  terrible  wrath  against 
the  Immortals,  for  now  she  contrives  a 
mighty  deed,  to  destroy  the  feeble  tribes  of 
earth-born  men  by  withholding  the  seed 
under  the  earth.  Thereby  the  honours  of 
the  Gods  are  minished,  and  fierce  is  her 
wrath,  nor  mingles  she  with  the  Gods, 
but  sits  apart  within  the  fragrant  temple  in 
the  steep  citadel  of  Eleusis." 

So  spake  he,  and  smiling  were  the  brows 
of  Aidoneus,  Prince  of  the  dead,  nor  did 
he  disobey  the  commands  of  King  Zeus, 
as  speedily  he  bade  the  wise  Persephone : 
"  Go,  Persephone,  to  thy  dark  -  mantled 
mother,  go  with  a  gentle  spirit  in  thy 
breast,  nor  be  thou  beyond  all  other  folk 
disconsolate.  Verily  I  shall  be  no  unseemly 
lord  of  thine  among  the  Immortals,  I  that 
am  the  brother  of  Father  Zeus,  and  whilst 


204  HOMERIC  HYMNS  367-384 

thou  art  here  shall  thou  be  mistress  over  all 
that  lives  and  moves,  but  among  the  Im- 
mortals shalt  thou  have  the  greatest  renown. 
Upon  them  that  wrong  thee  shall  vengeance 
be  unceasing,  upon  them  that  solicit  not 
thy  power  with  sacrifice,  and  pious  deeds, 
and  every  acceptable  gift." 

So  spake  he,  and  wise  Persephone  was 
glad ;  and  joyously  and  swiftly  she  arose, 
but  the  God  himself,  stealthily  looking  around 
her,  gave  her  sweet  pomegranate  seed  to 
eat,  and  this  he  did  that  she  might  not 
abide  for  ever  beside  revered  Demeter  of  the 
dark  mantle.1  Then  openly  did  Aidoneus, 
the  Prince  of  all,  get  ready  the  steeds  be- 
neath the  golden  chariot,  and  she  climbed  up 
into  the  golden  chariot,  and  beside  her  the 
strong  Slayer  of  Argos  took  reins  and  whip 
in  hand,  and  drove  forth  from  the  halls,  and 
gladly  sped  the  horses  twain.  Speedily  they 
devoured  the  long  way  ;  nor  sea,  nor  rivers, 
nor  grassy  glades,  nor  cliffs,  could  stay  the 
rush  of  the  deathless  horses  ;  nay,  far  above 

1  An  universally  diffused  belief  declares  that  whosoever  tastes 
the  food  of  the  dead  may  never  return  to  earth. 


385-405  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  205 

them  they  cleft  the  deep  air  in  their  course. 
Before  the  fragrant  temple  he  drove  them, 
and  checked  them  where  dwelt  Demeter  of 
the  goodly  garland,  who,  when  she  beheld 
them,  rushed  forth  like  a  Maenad  down  a 
dark  mountain  woodland.1 

[But  Persephone  on  the  other  side  rejoiced 
to  see  her  mother  dear,  and  leaped  to  meet 
her ;  but  the  mother  said,  •'  Child,  in  Hades 
hast  thou  eaten  any  food  ?  for  if  thou  hast 
not]  then  with  me  and  thy  father  the  son 
of  Cronos,  who  has  dark  clouds  for  his 
tabernacle,  shalt  thou  ever  dwell  honoured 
among  all  the  Immortals.  But  if  thou  hast 
tasted  food,  thou  must  return  again,  and 
beneath  the  hollows  of  the  earth  must  dwell 
in  Hades  a  third  portion  of  the  year;  yet 
two  parts  of  the  year  thou  shalt  abide  with 
me  and  the  other  Immortals.  When  the 
earth  blossoms  with  all  manner  of  fragrant 
flowers,  then  from  beneath  the  murky  gloom 
shalt  thou  come  again,  a  mighty  marvel  to 

1  The  lines  in  brackets  merely  state  the  probable  meaning 
of  a  dilapidated  passage. 


206  HOMERIC  HYMNS  405-424 

Gods  and  to  mortal  men.  Now  tell  me  by 
what  wile  the  strong  host  of  many  guests 
deceived  thee  ?  .  .  .  " 

Then  fair  Persephone  answered  her  august 
mother:  "Behold,  I  shall  tell  thee  all  the 
truth  without  fail.  I  leaped  up  for  joy  when 
boon  Hermes,  the  swift  messenger,  came  from 
my  father  Cronides  and  the  other  heavenly 
Gods,  with  the  message  that  I  was  to  return 
out  of  Erebus,  that  so  thou  mightest  behold 
me,  and  cease  thine  anger  and  dread  wrath 
against  the  Immortals.  Thereon  Hades  him- 
self compelled  me  to  taste  of  a  sweet  pome- 
granate seed  against  my  will.  And  now  I 
will  tell  thee  how,  through  the  crafty  device 
of  Cronides  my  father,  he  ravished  me,  and 
bore  me  away  beneath  the  hollows  of  the 
earth.  All  that  thou  askest  I  will  tell  thee. 
We  were  all  playing  in  the  lovely  meadows, 
Leucippe  and  Phaino,  and  Electra,  and 
lanthe,  and  Melite",  and  lachS,  and  Rhodeia, 
and  Callirhoe,  and  Melobosis,  and  Tuche",  and 
flower-faced  Ocyroe,  and  Chraesis,  and  lan- 
eira,  and  Acaste,  and  Admet£,  and  Rhodope, 


424-443  HYMN  TO  DEMETER  .207 


and  Plouto,  and  winsome  Calypso,  and  Styx, 
and  Urania,  and  beautiful  Galaxaure.  We 
were  playing  there,  and  plucking  beautiful 
blossoms  with  our  hands ;  crocuses  mingled, 
and  iris,  and  hyacinth,  and  roses,  and  lilies, 
a  marvel  to  behold,  and  narcissus,  that  the 
wide  earth  bare,  a  wile  for  my  undoing. 
Gladly  was  I  gathering  them  when  the  earth 
gaped  beneath,  and  therefrom  leaped  the 
mighty  Prince,  the  host  of  many  guests,  and 
he  bare  me  against  my  will  despite  my  grief 
beneath  the  earth,  in  his  golden  chariot ;  and 
shrilly  did  I  cry.  This  all  is  true  that  I  tell 
thee." 

So  the  livelong  day  in  oneness  of  heart  did 
they  cheer  each  other  with  love,  and  their 
minds  ceased  from  sorrow,  and  great  gladness 
did  either  win  from  other.  Then  came  to 
them  Hekate  of  the  fair  wimple,  and  often 
did  she  kiss  the  holy  daughter  of  Demeter, 
and  from  that  day  was  her  queenly  com- 
rade and  handmaiden ;  but  to  them  for  a 
messenger  did  far-seeing  Zeus  of  the  loud 
thunder-peal  send  fair-tressed  Rhea  to  bring 


208  HOMERIC  HYMNS  443-460 

dark-mantled  Demeter  among  the  Gods,  with 
pledge  of  what  honour  she  might  choose 
among  the  Immortals.  He  vowed  that  her 
daughter,  for  the  third  part  of  the  revolving 
year,  should  dwell  beneath  the  murky  gloom, 
but  for  the  other  two  parts  she  should  abide 
with  her  mother  and  the  other  gods. 

Thus  he  spake,  and  the  Goddess  disobeyed 
not  the  commands  of  Zeus.  Swiftly  she  sped 
down  from  the  peaks  of  Olympus,  and  came 
to  fertile  Rarion  ;  fertile  of  old,  but  now  no 
longer  fruitful ;  for  fallow  and  leafless  it  lay, 
and  hidden  was  the  white  barley  grain  by 
the  device  of  fair-ankled  Demeter.  None  the 
less  with  the  growing  of  the  Spring  the 
land  was  to  teem  with  tall  ears  of  corn,  and 
the  rich  furrows  were  to  be  heavy  with 
corn,  and  the  corn  to  be  bound  in  sheaves. 
There  first  did  she  land  from  the  unharvested 
ether,  and  gladly  the  Goddesses  looked  on 
each  other,  and  rejoiced  in  heart,  and  thus 
first  did  Rhea  of  the  fair  wimple  speak  to 
Demeter : 

"  Hither,  child  ;   for  he  calleth  thee,   far- 


461-479  HYMN  TO  DE METER  209 

seeing  Zeus,  the  lord  of  the  deep  thunder, 
to  come  among  the  Gods,  and  has  promised 
thee  such  honours  as  thou  wilt,  and  hath 
decreed  that  thy  child,  for  the  third  of  the 
rolling  year,  shall  dwell  beneath  the  murky 
gloom,  but  the  other  two  parts  with  her 
mother  and  the  rest  of  the  Immortals.  So 
doth  he  promise  that  it  shall  be  and  thereto 
nods  his  head  ;  but  come,  my  child,  obey, 
and  be  not  too  unrelenting  against  the  Son 
of  Cronos,  the  lord  of  the  dark  cloud. 
And  anon  do  thou  increase  the  grain  that 
bringeth  life  to  men." 

So  spake  she,  and  Demeter  of  the  fair 
garland  obeyed.  Speedily  she  sent  up  the 
grain  from  the  rich  glebe,  and  the  wide 
earth  was  heavy  with  leaves  and  flowers : 
and  she  hastened,  and  showed  the  thing  to 
the  kings,  the  dealers  of  doom  ;  to  Trip- 
tolemus  and  Diocles  the  charioteer,  and 
mighty  Eumolpus,  and  Celeus  the  leader 
of  the  people ;  she  showed  them  the  manner 
of  her  rites,  and  taught  them  her  goodly 
mysteries,  holy  mysteries  which  none  may 


2io  HOMERIC  HYMNS  479-496 

violate,  or  search  into,  or  noise  abroad,  for 
the  great  curse  from  the  Gods  restrains  the 
voice.  Happy  is  he  among  deathly  men 
who  hath  beheld  these  things  !  and  he  that 
is  uninitiate,  and  hath  no  lot  in  them,  hath 
never  equal  lot  in  death  beneath  the  murky 
gloom. 

Now  when  the  Goddess  had  given  in- 
struction in  all  her  rites,  they  went  to 
Olympus,  to  the  gathering  of  the  other  Gods. 
There  the  Goddesses  dwell  beside  Zeus  the 
lord  of  the  thunder,  holy  and  revered  are 
they.  Right  happy  is  he  among  mortal  men 
whom  they  dearly  love ;  speedily  do  they 
send  as  a  guest  to  his  lofty  hall  Plutus,  who 
giveth  wealth  to  mortal  men.  But  come  thou 
that  holdest  the  land  of  fragrant  Eleusis, 
and  sea-girt  Paros,  and  rocky  Antron,  come, 
Lady  Deo  !  Queen  and  giver  of  goodly  gifts, 
and  bringer  of  the  Seasons ;  come  thou 
and  thy  daughter,  beautiful  Persephone,  and 
of  your  grace  grant  me  goodly  substance 
in  requital  of  my  song ;  but  I  will  mind 
me  of  thee,  and  of  other  minstrelsy. 


V 
TO    APHRODITE 

I  SHALL  sing  of  the  revered  Aphrodite,  the 
*  golden-crowned,  the  beautiful,  who  hath 
for  her  portion  the  mountain  crests  of  sea- 
girt Cyprus.  Thither  the  strength  of  the 
west  wind  moistly  blowing  carried  her  amid 
soft  foam  over  the  wave  of  the  resounding 
sea.  Her  did  the  golden  -  snooded  Hours 
gladly  welcome,  and  clad  her  about  in 
immortal  raiment,  and  on  her  deathless  head 
set  a  well-wrought  crown,  fair  and  golden, 
and  in  her  ears  put  earrings  of  orichalcum 
and  of  precious  gold.  Her  delicate  neck 
and  white  bosom  they  adorned  with  chains 
of  gold,  wherewith  are  bedecked  the  golden- 
snooded  Hours  themselves,  when  they  come 
to  the  glad  dance  of  the  Gods  in  the  dwelling 
of  the  Father.  Anon  when  they  had  thus 


212  HOMERIC  HYMNS  14-21 

adorned  her  in  all  goodliness  they  led  her  to 
the  Immortals,  who  gave  her  greeting  when 
they  beheld  her,  and  welcomed  her  with 
their  hands ;  and  each  God  prayed  that  he 
might  lead  her  home  to  be  his  wedded  wife, 
so  much  they  marvelled  at  the  beauty  of  the 
fair-garlanded  Cytherean.  Hail,  thou  of  the 
glancing  eyes,  thou  sweet  winsome  Goddess, 
and  grant  that  I  bear  off  the  victory  in 
this  contest,  and  lend  thou  grace  to  my 
song,  while  I  shall  both  remember  thee  and 
another  singing. 


DIONYSUS   SAILING    IN    HIS   SACRED   SHIP 
(Interior  Design  on  a  Kylix  by  Exekias  in  Munich.) 


VI 
TO    DIONYSUS 

/CONCERNING  Dionysus  the  son  of  re- 
^^  nowned  Semele  shall  I  sing  ;  how  once 
he  appeared  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea  un- 
harvested,  on  a  jutting  headland,  in  form 


214  HOMERIC  HYMNS  3-19 

like  a  man  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  with  his 
beautiful  dark  hair  waving  around  him,  and 
on  his  strong  shoulders  a  purple  robe.  Anon 
came  in  sight  certain  men  that  were  pirates  ; 
in  a  well-wrought  ship  sailing  swiftly  on  the 
dark  seas :  Tyrsenians  were  they,  and  111 
Fate  was  their  leader,  for  they  beholding  him 
nodded  each  to  other,  and  swiftly  leaped 
forth,  and  hastily  seized  him,  and  set  him 
aboard  their  ship  rejoicing  in  heart,  for  they 
deemed  that  he  was  the  son  of  kings,  the 
fosterlings  of  Zeus,  and  they  were  minded  to 
bind  him  with  grievous  bonds.  But  him  the 
fetters  held  not,  and  the  withes  fell  far  from 
his  hands  and  feet.1  There  sat  he  smiling 
with  his  dark  eyes,  but  the  steersman  saw 
it,  and  spake  aloud  to  his  companions : 
"  Fools,  what  God  have  ye  taken  and  bound  ? 
a  strong  God  is  he,  our  trim  ship  may  not 
contain  him.  Surely  this  is  Zeus,  or  Apollo 

1  This  appears  to  answer  to  the  difficult  passage  about  the 
bonds  of  Apollo  falling  from  the  limbs  of  Hermes  (Hermes, 
404,  405).  Loosing  spells  were  known  to  the  Vikings,  and  the 
miracle  occurs  among  those  of  Jesuits  persecuted  under  Queen 
Elizabeth. 


19-36  TO  DIONYSUS  215 

of  the  Silver  Bow,  or  Poseidon  ;  for  he  is 
nowise  like  mortal  man,  but  like  the  Gods 
who  have  mansions  in  Olympus.  Nay,  come 
let  us  instantly  release  him  upon  the  dark 
mainland,  nor  lay  ye  your  hands  upon 
him,  lest,  being  wroth,  he  rouse  against  us 
masterful  winds  and  rushing  storm." 

So  spake  he,  but  their  captain  rebuked 
him  with  a  hateful  word  :  "  Fool,  look  thou 
to  the  wind,  and  haul  up  the  sail,  and 
grip  to  all  the  gear,  but  this  fellow  will  be 
for  men  to  meddle  with.  Methinks  he  will 
come  to  Egypt,  or  to  Cyprus,  or  to  the 
Hyperboreans,  or  further  far  ;  and  at  the 
last  he  will  tell  us  who  his  friends  are, 
and  concerning  his  wealth,  and  his  brethten, 
for  the  God  has  delivered  him  into  our 
hands." 

So  spake  he,  and  let  raise  the  mast  and 
hoist  the  mainsail,  and  the  wind  filled  the 
sail,  and  they  made  taut  the  ropes  all  round. 
But  anon  strange  matters  appeared  to  them  : 
first  there  flowed  through  all  the  swift  black 
ship  a  sweet  and  fragrant  wine,  and  the 


216  HOMERIC  HYMNS  36-55 

ambrosial  fragrance  arose,  and  fear  fell 
upon  all  the  mariners  that  beheld  it.  And 
straightway  a  vine  stretched  hither  and 
thither  along  the  sail,  hanging  with  many  a 
cluster,  and  dark  ivy  twined  round  the  mast 
blossoming  with  flowers,  and  gracious  fruit 
and  garlands  grew  on  all  the  thole-pins ; 
and  they  that  saw  it  bade  the  steersman 
drive  straight  to  land.  Meanwhile  within 
the  ship  the  God  changed  into  the  shape  of 
a  lion  at  the  bow ;  and  loudly  he  roared, 
and  in  midship  he  made  a  shaggy  bear  : 
such  marvels  he  showed  forth  :  there  stood 
it  raging,  and  on  the  deck  glared  the  lion 
terribly.  Then  the  men  fled  in  terror  to 
the  stern,  and  there  stood  in  fear  round 
the  honest  pilot.  But  suddenly  sprang 
forth  the  lion  and  seized  the  captain,  and 
the  men  all  at  once  leaped  overboard  into 
the  strong  sea,  shunnfng  dread  doom,  and 
there  were  changed  into  dolphins.  But  the 
God  took  pity  upon  the  steersman,  and 
kept  him,  and  gave  him  all  good  fortune, 
and  spake,  saying,  "  Be  of  good  courage, 


55-59  T0  DIONYSUS  217 


Sir,  dear  art  thou  to  me,  and  I  am  Dionysus 
of  the  noisy  rites  whom  Cadmeian  Semele 
bare  to  the  love  of  Zeus."  Hail,  thou  child 
of  beautiful  Semele,  none  that  is  mindless 
of  thee  can  fashion  sweet  minstrelsy. 


VII 
TO    ARES 

ARES,  thou  that  excellest  in  might,  thou 
**  lord  of  the  chariot  of  war,  God  of  the 
golden  helm,  thou  mighty  of  heart,  thou 
shield-bearer,  thou  safety  of  cities,  thou  that 
smitest  in  mail  ;  strong  of  hand  and  un- 
wearied valiant  spearman,  bulwark  of  Olym- 
pus, father  of  victory,  champion  of  Themis  ; 
thou  tyrannous  to  them  that  oppose  thee 
with  force  ;  thou  leader  of  just  men,  thou 
master  of  manlihood,  thou  that  whirlest  thy 
flaming  sphere  among  the  courses  of  the 
seven  stars  of  the  sky,  where  thy  fiery  steeds 
ever  bear  thee  above  the  third  orbit  of 
heaven ;  do  thou  listen  to  me,  helper  of 
mortals,  Giver  of  the  bright  bloom  of 
youth.  Shed  thou  down  a  mild  light  from 
above  upon  this  life  of  mine,  and  my 

3x8 


ii-i7  TO  ARES  219 

martial  strength,  so  that  I  may  be  of  avail 
to  drive  away  bitter  cowardice  from  my 
head,  and  to  curb  the  deceitful  rush  of  my 
soul,  and  to  restrain  the  sharp  stress  of 
anger  which  spurs  me  on  to  take  part  in 
the  dread  din  of  battle.  But  give  me 
heart,  O  blessed  one,  to  abide  in  the  pain- 
less measures  of  peace,  avoiding  the  battle- 
cry  of  foes  and  the  compelling  fates  of 
death. 


VIII 
TO    ARTEMIS 

OING  thou  of  Artemis,  Muse,  the  sister  of 
^  the  Far-darter  ;  the  archer  Maid,  fellow- 
nursling  with  Apollo,  who  waters  her  steeds 
in  the  reedy  wells  of  Meles,  then  swiftly 
drives  her  golden  chariot  through  Smyrna 
to  Claros  of  the  many-clustered  vines,  where 
sits  Apollo  of  the  Silver  Bow  awaiting  the 
far-darting  archer  maid.  And  hail  thou 
thus,  and  hail  to  all  Goddesses  in  my  song, 
but  to  thee  first,  and  beginning  from  thee, 
will  I  sing,  and  so  shall  pass  on  to  another 
lay. 


IX 
TO    APHRODITE 

I  SHALL  sing  of  Cytherea,  the  Cyprus- 
*  born,  who  gives  sweet  gifts  to  mortals, 
and  ever  on  her  face  is  a  winsome  smile,  and 
ever  in  her  hand  a  winsome  blossom.  Hail 
to  thee,  Goddess,  Queen  of  fair-set  Salamis, 
and  of  all  Cyprus,  and  give  to  me  song 
desirable,  while  I  shall  be  mindful  of  thee 
and  of  another  song. 


X 
TO    ATHENE 

Pallas  Athene,  the  saviour  of  cities,  I 
begin  to  sing ;  dread  Goddess,  who 
with  Ares  takes  keep  of  the  works  of  war, 
and  of  falling  cities,  and  battles,  and  the 
battle  din.  She  it  is  that  saveth  the  hosts 
as  they  go  and  return  from  the  fight.  Hail 
Goddess,  and  give  to  us  happiness  and  good 
fortune. 


XI 
TO    HERA 

I  SING  of  golden-throned  Hera,  whom 
*  Rhea  bore,  an  immortal  queen  in  beauty 
pre-eminent,  the  sister  and  the  bride  of  loud- 
thundering  Zeus,  the  lady  renowned,  whom 
all  the  Blessed  throughout  high  Olympus 
honour  and  revere  no  less  than  Zeus  whose 
delight  is  the  thunder. 


223 


XII 
TO    DEMETER 

fair-tressed  Demeter  the  holy  Goddess 
I  begin  to  sing ;  of  her  and  the 
Maiden,  the  lovely  Persephone.  Hail  God- 
dess, and  save  this  city  and  inspire  my 
song. 


224 


XIII 
TO  THE  MOTHER  OF  THE  GODS 

OING  for  me,  clear-voiced  Muse,  daughter 
^  of  great  Zeus,  the  mother  of  all  Gods 
and  all  mortals,  who  is  glad  in  the  sound 
of  rattles  and  drums,  and  in  the  noise  of 
flutes,  and  in  the  cry  of  wolves  and  fiery- 
eyed  lions,  and  in  the  echoing  hills,  and 
the  woodland  haunts  ;  even  so  hail  to  thee 
and  to  Goddesses  all  in  my  song. 


225 


XIV 
TO  HERACLES  THE  LION-HEART 

Heracles  the  son  of  Zeus  will  I  sing, 
mightiest  of  mortals,  whom  Alcmena 
bore  in  Thebes  of  the  fair  dancing  places, 
for  she  had  lain  in  the  arms  of  Cronion, 
the  lord  of  the  dark  clouds.  Of  old  the 
hero  wandered  endlessly  over  land  and  sea, 
at  the  bidding  of  Eurystheus  the  prince, 
and  himself  wrought  many  deeds  of  fate- 
ful might,  and  many  he  endured  ;  but  now 
in  the  fair  haunts  of  snowy  Olympus  he 
dwells  in  joy,  and  hath  white-ankled  Hebe 
for  his  wife.  Hail  prince,  son  of  Zeus,  and 
give  to  us  valour  and  good  fortune. 


XV 
TO    ASCLEPIUS 

OF  the  healer  of  diseases,  Asclepius,  I 
begin  to  sing,  the  son  of  Apollo,  whom 
fair  Coronis  bore  in  the  Dotian  plain,  the 
daughter  of  King  Phlegyas ;  a  great  joy  to 
men  was  her  son,  and  the  soother  of  evil 
pains.  Even  so  do  thou  hail,  O  Prince,  I 
pray  to  thee  in  my  song. 


XVI 
TO    THE    DIOSCOURI 

Castor  and  Polydeuces  do  thou  sing, 
shrill  Muse,  the  Tyndaridce,  sons  of 
'Olympian  Zeus,  whom  Lady  Leda  bore  be- 
neath the  crests  of  Taygetus,  having  been 
secretly  conquered  by  the  desire  of  Cro- 
nion  of  the  dark  clouds.  Hail,  ye  sons  of 
Tyndarus,  ye  cavaliers  of  swift  steeds. 


328 


XVII 
TO    HERMES 

I  SING  of  Cyllenian  Hermes,  slayer  of 
*  Argus,  prince  of  Cyllene  and  of  Arcadia 
rich  in  sheep,  the  boon  messenger  of  the 
Immortals.  Him  did  Maia  bear,  the  modest 
daughter  of  Atlas,  to  the  love  of  Zeus. 
The  company  of  the  blessed  Gods  she 
shunned,  and  dwelt  in  a  shadowy  cave 
where  Cronion  was  wont  to  lie  with  the 
fair-tressed  nymph  in  the  dark  of  night, 
while  sweet  sleep  possessed  white  armed 
Hera,  and  no  Immortals  knew  it,  and  no 
deathly  men.  Hail  to  thee,  thou  son  of 
Zeus  and  Maia,  with  thee  shall  I  begin  and 
pass  on  to  another  song.  Hail,  Hermes, 
Giver  of  grace,  thou  Guide,  thou  Giver  of 

good  things. 

229 


XVIII 
TO    PAN 

HP ELL  me,  Muse,  concerning  the  dear  son 
1  of  Hermes,  the  goat-footed,  the  twy- 
horned,  the  lover  of  the  din  of  revel,  who 
haunts  the  wooded  dells  with  dancing 
nymphs  that  tread  the  crests  of  the  steep 
cliffs,  calling  upon  Pan  the  pastoral  God  of 
the  long  wild  hair.  Lord  is  he  of  every 
snowy  crest  and  mountain  peak  and  rocky 
path.  Hither  and  thither  he  goes  through 
the  thick  copses,  sometimes  being  drawn  to 
the  still  waters,  and  sometimes  faring  through 
the  lofty  crags  he  climbs  the  highest  peak 
whence  the  flocks  are  seen  below  ;  ever  he 
ranges  over  the  high  white  hills,  and  ever 
among  the  knolls  he  chases  and  slays  the 
wild  beasts,  the  God,  with  keen  eye,  and 
at  evening  returns  piping  from  the  chase, 


PAN 

With  Goat  ard  Shepherd's  Crook 
Terra,  cotta  Statuette  from   Tanagra,  in  the  British  Museum 


15-34  TO  PAN  231 

breathing  sweet  strains  on  the  reeds.  In 
song  that  bird  cannot  excel  him  which, 
among  the  leaves  of  the  blossoming  spring- 
tide, pours  forth  her  plaint  and  her  honey- 
sweet  song.  With  him  then  the  mountain 
nymphs,  the  shrill  singers,  go  wandering 
with  light  feet,  and  sing  at  the  side  of  the 
dark  water  of  the  well,  while  the  echo 
moans  along  the  mountain  crest,  and  the 
God  leaps  hither  and  thither,  and  goes  into 
the  midst,  with  many  a  step  of  the  dance. 
On  his  back  he  wears  the  tawny  hide  of 
a  lynx,  and  his  heart  rejoices  with  shrill 
songs  in  the  soft  meadow  where  crocus 
and  fragrant  hyacinth  bloom  all  mingled 
amidst  the  grass.  They  sing  of  the  blessed 
Gods  and  of  high  Olympus,  and  above  all 
do  they  sing  of  boon  Hermes,  how  he  is 
the  fleet  herald  of  all  the  Gods,  and  how 
he  came  to  many-fountained  Arcadia,  the 
mother  of  sheep,  where  is  his  Cyllenian 
demesne,  and  there  he,  God  as  he  was, 
shepherded  the  fleecy  sheep,  the  thrall  of  a 
mortal  man ;  for  soft  desire  had  come  upon 


232  HOMERIC  HYMNS  34-49 

him  to  wed  the  fair-haired  daughter  of 
Dryops,  and  the  glad  nuptials  he  accom- 
plished, and  to  Hermes  in  the  hall  she 
bare  a  dear  son.  From  his  birth  he  was 
a  marvel  to  behold,  goat-footed,  twy-horned, 
a  loud  speaker,  a  sweet  laugher.  Then  the 
nurse  leaped  up  and  fled  when  she  saw  his 
wild  face  and  bearded  chin.  But  him  did 
boon  Hermes  straightway  take  in  his  hands 
and  bear,  and  gladly  did  he  rejoice  at 
heart.  Swiftly  to  the  dwellings  of  the 
Gods  went  he,  bearing  the  babe  hidden 
in  the  thick  skins  of  mountain  hares  ;  there 
sat  he  down  by  Zeus  and  the  other  Im- 
mortals, and  showed  his  child,  and  all  the 
Immortals  were  glad  at  heart,  and  chiefly 
the  Bacchic  Dionysus.  Pan  they  called  the 
babe  to  name :  because  he  had  made  glad 
the  hearts  of  all  of  them.  Hail  then  to 
thee,  O  Prince,  I  am  thy  suppliant  in  song, 
and  I  shall  be  mindful  of  thee  and  of 
another  lay. 


XIX 
TO    HEPHAESTUS 

OING,  shrill  Muse,  of  Hephaestus  renowned 
^  in  craft,  who  with  grey-eyed  Athene 
taught  goodly  works  to  men  on  earth,  even 
to  men  that  before  were  wont  to  dwell  in 
mountain  caves  like  beasts ;  but  now,  being 
instructed  in  craft  by  the  renowned  crafts- 
man Hephaestus,  lightly  the  whole  year 
through  they  dwell  happily  in  their  own 
homes.  Be  gracious,  Hephaestus,  and  grant 
me  valour  and  fortune. 


XX 

TO    APOLLO 

PHOEBUS,  to  thee  the  swan  sings  shrill 
*•  to  the  beating  of  his  wings,  as  he  lights 
on  the  bank  of  the  whirling  pools  of  the 
river  Peneus  ;  and  to  thee  with  his  shrill 
lyre  does  the  sweet-voiced  minstrel  sing 
ever,  both  first  and  last.  Even  so  hail 
thou,  Prince,  I  beseech  thee  in  my  song. 


234 


XXI 

TO    POSEIDON 

CONCERNING  Poseidon,  a  great  God,  I 
^-^  begin  to  sing  :  the  shaker  of  the  land 
and  of  the  sea  unharvested  ;  God  of  the 
deep  who  holdeth  Helicon  and  wide  fiLgze. 
A  double  meed  of  honour  have  the  Gods 
given  thee,  O  Shaker  of  the  Earth,  to  be 
tamer  of  horses  and  saviour  of  ships.  Hail 
Prince,  thou  Girdler  of  the  Earth,  thou 
dark-haired  God,  and  with  kindly  heart,  O 
blessed  one,  do  thou  befriend  the  mariners. 


335 


XXII 
TO    HIGHEST    ZEUS 

TO  Zeus  the  best  of  Gods  will  I  sing ;  the 
best  and  the  greatest,  the  far-beholding 
lord  who  bringeth  all  to  an  end,  who  holdeth 
constant  counsel  with  Themis  as  she  reclines 
on  her  couch.  Be  gracious,  far-beholding 
son  of  Cronos,  thou  most  glorious  and 
greatest. 


236 


XXIII 
TO    HESTIA 

T  T  ESTIA,  that  guardest  the  sacred  house 
of  the  Prince,  Apollo  the  Far-darter,  in 
goodly  Pytho,  ever  doth  the  oil  drop  dank 
from  thy  locks.  Come  thou  to  this  house 
with  a  gracious  heart,  come  with  counselling 
Zeus,  and  lend  grace  to  my  song. 


337 


XXIV 
TO   THE   MUSES  AND   APOLLO 


the  Muse  I  shall  begin  and  from 
Apollo  and  Zeus.  For  it  is  from  the 
Muses  and  far-darting  Apollo  that  minstrels 
and  harpers  are  upon  the  earth,  but  from 
Zeus  come  kings.  Fortunate  is  he  whom- 
soever the  Muses  love,  and  sweet  flows  his 
voice  from  his  lips.  Hail,  ye  children  of 
Zeus,  honour  ye  my  lay,  and  anon  I  shall 
be  mindful  of  you  and  of  another  hymn. 


238 


XXV 
TO    DIONYSUS 

ivy-tressed  uproarious  Dionysus  I 
begin  to  sing,  the  splendid  son  of 
Zeus  and  renowned  Semele.  Him  did  the 
fair-tressed  nymphs  foster,  receiving  him  from 
the  king  and  father  in  their  bosoms,  and 
needfully  they  nurtured  him  in  the  glens 
of  Nyse.  By  his  father's  will  he  waxed 
strong  in  the  fragrant  cavern,  being  num- 
bered among  the  Immortals.  Anon  when 
the  Goddesses  had  bred  him  up  to  be  the 
god  of  many  a  hymn,  then  went  he  wander- 
ing in  the  woodland  glades,  draped  with  ivy 
and  laurel,  and  the  nymphs  followed  with 
him  where  he  led,  and  loud  rang  the  wild 
woodland.  Hail  to  thee,  then,  Dionysus  of 
the  clustered  vine,  and  grant  to  us  to  come 
gladly  again  to  the  season  of  vintaging,  yea, 

and  afterwards  for  many  a  year  to  come. 
239 


XXVI 
TO    ARTEMIS 

I  SING  of  Artemis  of  the  Golden  Distaff, 
*  Goddess  of  the  loud  chase,  a  maiden 
revered,  the  slayer  of  stags,  the  archer,  very 
sister  of  Apollo  of  the  golden  blade.  She 
through  the  shadowy  hills  and  the  windy 
headlands  rejoicing  in  the  chase  draws  her 
golden  bow,  sending  forth  shafts  of  sorrow. 
Then  tremble  the  crests  of  the  lofty  moun- 
tains, and  terribly  the  dark  woodland  rings 
with  din  of  beasts,  and  the  earth  shudders, 
and  the  teeming  sea.  Meanwhile  she  of  the 
stout  heart  turns  about  on  every  side  slaying 
the  race  of  wild  beasts.  Anon  when  the 
Archer  Huntress  hath  taken  her  delight,  and 
hath  gladdened  her  heart,  she  slackens  her 
bended  bow,  and  goes  to  the  great  hall 
of  her  dear  Phcebus  Apollo,  to  the  rich 


14-22  TO  ARTEMIS  241 

Delphian  land  ;  and  arrays  the  lovely  dance 
of  Muses  and  Graces.  There  hangs  she  up 
her  bended  bow  and  her  arrows,  and  all 
graciously  clad  about  she  leads  the  dances, 
first  in  place,  while  the  others  utter  their  im- 
mortal voice  in  hymns  to  fair-ankled  Leto, 
how  she  bore  such  children  pre-eminent 
among  the  Immortals  in  counsel  and  in 
deed.  Hail,  ye  children  of  Zeus  and  fair- 
tressed  Leto,  anon  will  I  be  mindful  of  you 
and  of  another  hymn. 


XXVII 
TO    ATHENE 

fairest  Athene,  renowned  Goddess,  I 
begin  to  sing,  of  the  Grey-eyed,  the 
wise  ;  her  of  the  relentless  heart,  the  maiden 
revered,  the  succour  of  cities,  the  strong 
Tritogeneia.  Her  did  Zeus  the  counsellor 
himself  beget  from  his  holy  head,  all  armed 
for  war  in  shining  golden  mail,  while  in 
awe  did  the  other  Gods  behold  it.  Quickly 
did  the  Goddess  leap  from  the  immortal 
head,  and  stood  before  Zeus,  shaking  her 
sharp  spear,  and  high  Olympus  trembled  in 
dread  beneath  the  strength  of  the  grey-eyed 
Maiden,  while  earth  rang  terribly  around, 
and  the  sea  was  boiling  with  dark  waves, 
and  suddenly  brake  forth  the  foam.  Yea, 
and  the  glorious  son  of  Hyperion  checked 
for  long  his  swift  steeds,  till  the  maiden 


242 


1 5- 1 8  TO  ATHENE  243 

took  from  her  immortal  shoulders  her  divine 
armour,  even  Pallas  Athene :  and  Zeus  the 
counsellor  rejoiced.  Hail  to  thee,  thou 
child  of  aegis-bearing  Zeus,  anon  shall  I  be 
mindful  of  thee  and  of  another  lay. 


XXVIII 
TO    HESTIA 

MESTIA,  thou  that  in  the  lofty  halls  of 
all  immortal  Gods,  and  of  all  men  that 
go  on  earth,  hast  obtained  an  eternal  place 
and  the  foremost  honour,  splendid  is  thy 
glory  and  thy  gift,  for  there  is  no  banquet 
of  mortals  without  thee,  none  where,  Hestia, 
they  be  not  wont  first  and  last  to  make  to 
thee  oblation  of  sweet  wine.  And  do  thou, 
O  slayer  of  Argus,  son  of  Zeus  and  Maia, 
messenger  of  the  blessed  Gods,  God  of  the 
golden  wand,  Giver  of  all  things  good,  do 
thou  with  Hestia  dwell  in  the  fair  mansions, 
dear  each  to  other  ;  with  kindly  heart  befriend 
us  in  company  with  dear  and  honoured 

Hestia.     [For  both  the  twain,  well  skilled  in 
344 


n-14  TO  HESTIA  245 

all  fair  works  of  earthly  men,  consort  with 
wisdom  and  youth.]  Hail  daughter  of 
Cronos,  thou  and  Hermes  of  the  golden 
wand,  anon  will  I  be  mindful  of  you  and 
of  another  lay. 


XXIX 

TO   EARTH,   THE    MOTHER 
OF   ALL 

/CONCERNING  Earth,  the  mother  of  all, 
^•^  shall  I  sing,  firm  Earth,  eldest  of  Gods, 
that  nourishes  all  things  in  the  world  ;  all 
things  that  fare  on  the  sacred  land,  all  things 
in  the  sea,  all  flying  things,  all  are  fed  out  of 
her  store.  Through  thee,  revered  Goddess, 
are  men  happy  in  their  children  and  fortu- 
nate in  their  harvest.  Thine  it  is  to  give  or 
to  take  life  from  mortal  men.  Happy  is  he 
whom  thou  honourest  with  favouring  heart  ; 
to  him  all  good  things  are  present  innumer- 
able :  his  fertile  field  is  laden,  his  meadows 
are  rich  in  cattle,  his  house  filled  with  all 
good  things.  Such  men  rule  righteously  in 
cities  of  fair  women,  great  wealth  and  riches 

are   theirs,    their    children   grow   glorious    in 
246 


i3-i9  TO  EARTH  247 

fresh  delights  :  their  maidens  joyfully  dance 
and  sport  through  the  soft  meadow  flowers 
in  floral  revelry.  Such  are  those  that  thou 
honourest,  holy  Goddess,  kindly  spirit.  Hail, 
Mother  of  the  Gods,  thou  wife  of  starry 
Ouranos,  and  freely  in  return  for  my  ode 
give  me  sufficient  livelihood.  Anon  will  I 
be  mindful  of  thee  and  of  another  lay. 


XXX 

TO    HELIOS 

DEGIN,  O  Muse  Calliope,  to  sing  of  Helios 
*-^  the  child  of  Zeus,  the  splendid  Helios 
whom  dark-eyed  Euryphaessa  bore  to  the 
son  of  Earth  and  starry  Heaven.  For 
Hyperion  wedded  Euryphaessa,  his  own 
sister,  who  bore  him  goodly  children,  the 
rosy-armed  Dawn,  and  fair-tressed  Selene, 
and  the  tireless  Helios,  like  unto  the  Im- 
mortals, who  from  his  chariot  shines  on 
mortals  and  on  deathless  Gods,  and  dread 
is  the  glance  of  his  eyes  from  his  golden 
helm,  and  bright  rays  shine  forth  from 
him  splendidly,  and  round  his  temples  the 
shining  locks  flowing  down  from  his  head 
frame  round  his  far-seen  face,  and  a  goodly 
garment  wrought  delicately  shines  about  his 
body  in  the  breath  of  the  winds,  and 


14-19  TO  HELIOS  249 

stallions  speed  beneath  him  when  he,  cha- 
rioting his  horses  and  golden-yoked  car, 
drives  down  through  heaven  to  ocean. 
Hail,  Prince,  and  of  thy  grace  grant  me 
livelihood  enough  ;  beginning  from  thee  I 
shall  sing  the  race  of  heroes  half  divine, 
whose  deeds  the  Goddesses  have  revealed 
to  mortals. 


XXXI 
TO   THE    MOON 

YE  Muses,  sing  of  the  fair-faced,  wide- 
winged  Moon  ;  ye  sweet-voiced  daugh- 
ters of  Zeus  son  of  Cronos,  accomplished 
in  song !  The  heavenly  gleam  from  her 
immortal  head  circles  the  earth,  and  all 
beauty  arises  under  her  glowing  light,  and 
the  lampless  air  beams  from  her  golden 
crown,  and  the  rays  dwell  lingering  when 
she  has  bathed  her  fair  body  in  the  ocean 
stream,  and  clad  her  in  shining  raiment, 
divine  Selene,  yoking  her  strong-necked  glit- 
tering steeds.  Then  forward  with  speed 
she  drives  her  deep-maned  horses  in  the 
evening  of  the  mid-month  when  her  mighty 
orb  is  full ;  then  her  beams  are  brightest 
in  the  sky  as  she  waxes,  a  token  and  a 
signal  to  mortal  men.  With  her  once  was 


14-20  TO  THE  MOON  251 

Cronion  wedded  in  love,  and  she  conceived, 
and  brought  forth  Pandia  the  maiden,  pre- 
eminent in  beauty  among  the  immortal 
Gods.  Hail,  Queen,  white-armed  Goddess, 
divine  Selene,  gentle  of  heart  and  fair  of 
tress.  Beginning  from  thee  shall  I  sing  the 
renown  of  heroes  half  divine  whose  deeds 
do  minstrels  chant  from  their  charmed  lips  ; 
these  ministers  of  the  Muses. 


OING,  fair-glancing  Muses,  of  the  sons  of 
^^  Zeus,  the  Tyndaridae,  glorious  children 
of  fair-ankled  Leda,  Castor  the  tamer  of 
steeds  and  faultless  Polydeuces.  These, 
after  wedlock  with  Cronion  of  the  dark 
clouds,  she  bore  beneath  the  crests  of  Tay- 
getus,  that  mighty  hill,  to  be  the  saviours 
of  earthly  men,  and  of  swift  ships  when  the 
wintry  breezes  rush  along  the  pitiless  sea. 
Then  men  from  their  ships  call  in  prayer 
with  sacrifice  of  white  lambs  when  they 
mount  the  vessel's  deck.  But  the  strong 
wind  and  the  wave  of  the  sea  drive  down 
their  ship  beneath  the  water  ;  when  sud- 
denly appear  the  sons  of  Zeus  rushing 
through  the  air  with  tawny  wings,  and 
straightway  have  they  stilled  the  tempests  of 


The  Dioscuri  coming  to  the  feast  ot  the  Theoxenia 

From  a  l^ase  in  the  British  Museum 

(Sixth  Century  B.C.) 


I5-I9  TO  THE  DIOSCOURI  253 

evil  winds,  and  have  lulled  the  waves  in 
the  gulfs  of  the  white  salt  sea :  glad  signs 
are  they  to  mariners,  an  ending  of  their 
labour :  and  men  see  it  and  are  glad,  and 
cease  from  weary  toil.  Hail  ye,  Tyndaridae, 
ye  knights  of  swift  steeds,  anon  will  I  be 
mindful  of  you  and  of  another  lay. 


XXXIII 
TO   DIONYSUS 

say  that  Semele  bare  thee  to  Zeus 
the  lord  of  thunder  in  Dracanon,  and 
some  in  windy  Icarus,  and  some  in  Naxos, 
thou  seed  of  Zeus,  Eiraphiotes  ;  and  others 
by  the  deep-swelling  river  Alpheius,  and 
others,  O  Prince,  say  that  thou  wert  born 
in  Thebes.  Falsely  speak  they  all :  for  the 
Father  of  Gods  and  men  begat  thee  far 
away  from  men,  while  white-armed  Hera 
knew  it  not.  There  is  a  hill  called  Nys£, 
a  lofty  hill,  flowering  into  woodland,  far 
away  from  Phoenicia,  near  the  streams  of 
^gyptus.  .  .  . 

lt  And  to  thee  will  they  raise  many  statues  in 
the  temples :  as  these  thy  deeds  are  three,  so 
men  will  sacrifice  to  thee  hecatombs  every 
three  years."  * 

1  There  is  a  gap  in  the  text.     Three  deeds  of  Dionysus  must 
have  been  narrated,  then  follows  the  comment  of  Zeus. 

254 


i6-2i  TO  DIONYSUS  255 

So  spake  Zeus  the  counsellor,  and  nodded 
with  his  head.  Be  gracious,  Eiraphiotes,  thou 
wild  lover,  from  thee,  beginning  and  ending 
with  thee,  we  minstrels  sing :  in  nowise  is 
it  possible  for  him  who  forgets  thee  to  be 
mindful  of  sacred  song.  Hail  to  thee, 
Dionysus  Eiraphiotes,  with  thy  mother 
Semele,  whom  men  call  Thyone. 


THE    END 


Printed  by  BALLANTYNK,  HANSON  &"  Co. 
Edinburgh  &»  London 


17259 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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